By KRISTI MAYFIELD
More than 35 people came out on Saturday, Oct. 19 to meet with dental care providers at the Care2U Event in Oakdale at the Community United Methodist Church. Patients were treated to free examinations, oral cancer screenings, X-rays, cleanings and more at the clinic. Theresa Sheppard, RDA, founder of Care2U, a non-profit organization, said that their goal is to try to help as many people as they can so they host multiple clinics throughout the year.
So far, 2024 has seen them host three clinics at various locations in Stanislaus County and she is hoping to host four clinics in 2025. In the past, they have set up some clinics specifically targeted towards veterans, as Sheppard is a Blue Star Mom and the cause is near and dear to her heart.
At this most recent clinic, there were a number of volunteers, ranging from dental assistants to dental hygienists to dental providers with each station from triage to treatment chair being carefully curated by one of the many volunteers to ensure that each patient received care and consideration throughout the process. Currently, many of the items needed for these clinics are stored by Sheppard in temperature-controlled areas but she doesn’t have a van in which to transport items so she has to rent a U-Haul every time they host a clinic to transport all of the equipment to and from each event.
In 2025, the organization plans to host additional fundraisers to generate the necessary funds to purchase a transportation van as well as a possible treatment van so that they can become be completely mobile and offer treatment services to more residents throughout the Central Valley.
To learn more about Care2U, visit https://care2uts.com/
