Health – Adventist Community Services

How does a visit to the dentist make you feel?

By: Colette Newer, Associate Director of Adventist Community Services at the North American Division

Carol answered the phone and heard “You have to see me, it is the law!” This was a call to Gateway Grace Dental Clinic in Portland, Oregon from a potential client, frustrated by her previous experiences with care providers. Carol’s reply took the caller aback, “We would love to see you! Let’s make sure you qualify.” The woman called back an hour later in tears, apologizing for her initial behavior.

Teeth aren’t the only thing the dental center considers as they interact with their patients. As low-income patients, many have had negative experiences with care providers, but the caller, as well as many others, have expressed their surprise about how pleasant their experience was at Gateway Grace. It is a testament to the intentional care given by the staff to making each patient’s experience uplifting, as well as healing.

Gateway Grace is a service of Portland Adventist Community Services (PACS) who also operates a food pantry, mobile food distribution, and thrift store.

Van used for mobile distribution making food accessible to those who would find it especially difficult to get to the ACS Center.

Sam Crespo volunteers twice a week to drive the mobile pantry to seven different locations in the Portland metro area.

Even through the mask, you can see Ariela’s smile as she welcomes guests to the dental clinic.

One of the dental treatment areas graced by a photograph by Dick Duerksen.

Carol offers compassion and patience alongside her dental hygienist skills.

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the nation, Adventist Community Services (ACS) Centers have been encouraged to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to volunteers, staff, and community members. Face masks are one of the most essential supplies that are in great demand today.

AdventHealth in Florida recently donated 150,000 face masks to ACS for use in food pantries and other areas serving communities in need. These masks which are from AdventHealth’s donation-eligible stockpiles were distributed to the Florida, Texas, and Greater New York conferences. Each conference received one pallet of 50,000 masks which is valued at $6,000, totaling the retail price of the masks to be $18,000. In addition to the donation, the hospital also took care of all transportation costs. While keeping the primary focus on protecting front-line caregivers, AdventHealth is constantly evaluating the opportunity to help others.

“AdventHealth is blessed to have strong inventory levels that allow us to share these donation-eligible face masks, while ensuring our team members remain protected,” said Monty Jacobs, director of AdventHealth Global Missions. “Understanding that this is a challenging time for many families, we are grateful to Adventist Community Services for the opportunity to help safeguard the volunteers who provide warm meals, clothing and more to those who need it most.”

“We are so grateful to AdventHealth for their generous offer to Adventist Community Services (ACS), and look forward to distributing the Masks to our Food Pantry teams, those working in our Schools and Community Centers. Keeping ACS team members safe while serving is a responsibility we take seriously and this donation was an answer to our prayers,” stated Derrick Lea, disaster response director for North American Division Adventist Community Services.