Written by Wenqi Chuang and Shaozhen Liu
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, New Jersey is one of the most prosperous and affluent states in the U.S., ranking 10th among U.S. states and Washington, D.C., in terms of economic size. However, the city of Camden in New Jersey can be considered underprivileged. According to the United States Census Bureau’s July 2022 survey, the median annual household income for Camden residents is only $36,258, 31.6% of its households live below the federal poverty line, and 13.7% of the population under the age of 65 is without health insurance. The high cost of dental care is often a deterrent for many disadvantaged residents who can’t afford health insurance. Many have never been to the dentist and endured dental problems for long periods.
On Sunday, April 28, 2024, Tzu Chi USA Mid-Atlantic Region volunteers in New Jersey held a large-scale free dental clinic event at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral, a Catholic church in Camden, providing residents with services such as scaling, dental checkups, oral cancer screening, and dental health hygiene education. Doctors Botang Wen, Yulei Guo, and Young J. Kim, assisted by 40 Tzu Chi volunteers, provided dental care to 23 patients and presented an oral hygiene class to 28 residents. When the patients smiled after receiving care, it was the moment all those serving felt the joy of helping others selflessly and seeing the heartwarming results of their free services firsthand.
Extensive Preparations Are Indispensable
A dental clinic requires a lot of large, expensive, and sophisticated medical and dental equipment. Tzu Chi New Jersey volunteers began to make meticulous preparations the day before the free clinic. They rented a van to transport this sophisticated equipment to the outreach site. Men and women, young and old, worked together to carry all the equipment from the van into the venue.
Then, the volunteers got busy: assembling dental patients’ chairs one by one, preparing the dental scaling equipment, adjusting the air compressor, configuring the X-ray machine, regulating the sterilization equipment, setting up the patients’ check-in area and dental hygiene station, and registering patients in advance and arranging their medical information. By the time everything was ready, their work had spanned from dawn to dusk, and twilight’s warm glow filled the sky. Although they had been busy all day, the volunteers were happy because they were well-prepared for the next day’s clinic.
In addition, since medical services require a high degree of professionalism, training the general volunteers at the frontline beforehand is critical to every free clinic event. Dental assistants participating in Tzu Chi free clinics have undergone rigorous professional training. They must understand dental cleaning procedures and be knowledgeable about equipment sterilization and maintenance to assist dentists properly as they treat patients.
Some Dental Patients Are Inspired to Volunteer
On the free clinic day, the venue bustled with activity, with patients coming one after another. Among them was Camden resident Tibu Islas, who immigrated to the U.S. when he was 15. He learned about Tzu Chi’s free dental clinic event at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral when he attended Mass and was eager to come – it had been seven years since his last visit to a dentist because he didn’t have dental insurance. Islas also brought his wife, Abril Revueltas, and their three children to the clinic. While dentists treated their parents, the children attended an oral hygiene class and learned how to properly brush and floss their teeth.
After receiving treatment, Islas was relieved to learn that the dentist had resolved any arising from a lack of dental care for years. As for his wife, she was thrilled to receive dental scaling. Revueltas didn’t expect the Tzu Chi free dental clinic to be so good. She explained that at her previous dentist visits, she only received a partial cleaning, but his time, she received a deep cleaning. Both husband and wife also learned how to brush their teeth correctly for the first time, as they had been doing it wrong for years, and were most grateful for the knowledge they gained.
Tibu Islas and Abril Revueltas were deeply touched and appreciative of the free dental care they received. After learning that Tzu Chi often needs Spanish interpretation services, they gladly filled out an online form to volunteer as interpreters for patients who don’t speak English during Tzu Chi’s medical outreach in New Jersey. It was their way of expressing gratitude and paying the love forward.
Local Dentists Discover the Joy of Service
Dr. Young J. Kim, who offered his dental care services during the free clinic, participated thanks to one of his patients who informed him about the event. Dr. Kim, who practices in the Camden area, has a lot of contact with Hispanic patients and knows their healthcare needs and monetary concerns well. He has observed that many people in this community are financially disadvantaged and can’t afford dental insurance. Others are undocumented immigrants who don’t have access to government subsidies. Such a free and high-quality dental clinic is of immense help to underprivileged groups. During the clinic, Kim, who speaks Spanish, not only treated patients but also acted as an interpreter.
This is really a well-run program. I’m very impressed. Looks like you’re doing good work and helping poor people, and I’m all for it!
Volunteers Find the Experience Enriching
Tzu Chi community volunteer Ingrid Thone has served at various Tzu Chi events, and this medical care outreach was her second time participating in a free dental clinic, where she served as a Spanish interpreter and hygienist. She was surprised that many people didn’t know how to floss, so providing proper oral hygiene knowledge is vital.
Thone found Tzu Chi’s free dental clinic extremely professional. She witnessed how Tzu Chi volunteers transformed a church basement into a dental treatment center equipped with professional equipment. That undoubtedly involved a considerable investment of time and effort, which is admirable and impressive. Thone plans to continue her medical school studies and finds her experiences during such free clinic events invaluable, so she will continue volunteering.
Tzu Chi volunteer Mingling Fang, who used to live in California and came to Philadelphia in recent years, has not forgotten to continue her volunteer work. She traveled from Philadelphia to New Jersey to work as a dental assistant at the free clinic. Fang was a little nervous as she hadn’t participated in a free clinic in a long time. However, once she thought of Master Cheng Yen’s words, she felt confident.
She shared that whenever she thinks about how Master Cheng Yen reminds everyone to be mindful each day, and she follows that guidance, everything becomes more manageable.
I’m thankful for being able to be a Tzu Chi volunteer, and I’m grateful to Master for creating the Tzu Chi world and to the sisters and brothers of New Jersey for allowing me to serve here.
Joint Efforts Bring Blessings
Since 2023, Tzu Chi USA Mid-Atlantic Region volunteers in New Jersey have been collaborating with St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral in Camden, where they have been assisting local disadvantaged groups in applying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food coupons.
Rev. Jaime E. Hostios, the Pastor at the church, cares about the well-being of the local community in this parish deeply. When he learned about Tzu Chi’s medical mission, he hoped that Tzu Chi could organize a free clinic at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral, and the Tzu Chi New Jersey team agreed. After presiding over Mass on the day of the clinic, Rev. Hostios came to personally express his gratitude to the Tzu Chi volunteers and dentists serving at the free clinic during an appreciation session for the medical staff afterward.
You’re always welcome here. Please keep helping the people, the Spanish people. I really appreciate it a lot. You’re doing a lot for them. God bless all of you. Thank you so much.
Many residents from New Jersey’s disadvantaged communities cannot travel directly to Tzu Chi service centers for medical care when free clinic events are held there. When those in need cannot come, Tzu Chi volunteers will go to them. It is in this spirit that Tzu Chi organized this free dental clinic event in Camden, where over 30% of households live below the federal poverty line, and many have never seen a dentist before and may be on the verge of suffering from untreated dental issues. This free dental clinic event in their community brought them relief and peace of mind.
