BOISE — Every day, thousands of people in Idaho are struggling to make ends meet, let alone, fix a tooth or get their eyes checked.
On Wednesday, some of them will get a chance to get the necessary health care that they need for free!
The second Amen Free Clinic at Expo Idaho runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.
"It's first come, first serve, there are no pre-qualifications. We don’t check IDs, we don't ask for insurance cards, immigration status - it's completely free so anybody that shows up, we will serve them,” Liz Thomsen, the clinic director for Community Development Inc. said.
The clinic will offer dental, vision and medical services.
“What we're finding is many communities have people that are under-insured, uninsured or they're in that gap where there isn’t any room to be able to pay for those actual services, such as dental or vision, and these are the people that we want to help and serve,” Thomsen said.
More than 850 volunteers are taking part in the 3-day clinic.
This year's clinic goes beyond physical problems.
“We're going to have mental health resources, we're going to have a substance treatment table, we'll have information on the 2-1-1 Care Line for the Department of Health and Welfare, we're going to have the Idaho Foodbank; there's so many things that we're going to have,” Paula Barthelmess, volunteer said.
"The gratitude from these people is amazing,” Victor Cook, dental director for AMEN Clinic said. “They want to get up and give you a hug or some of them with tears in their eyes. They appreciate being treated and taken care of.”
The clinic hopes to serve 1,500 people.