PROVIDENCE – A birthday party fundraiser will celebrate the fifth year of operations for the volunteer-run Clinica Esperanza/HopeClinic on Saturday.
The event will be a multicultural “song and dance extravaganza” to celebrate the dedication of staff and volunteers serving more than 6,000 uninsured patients since its founding with a few volunteers in a church basement on Broad Street during the Great Recession.
“I continue to be amazed by the need for this clinic,” said Dr. Annie De Groot, one of several founders who continues to volunteer every week. “Every day, four to six people walk in off the street, seeking help for health care issues that may not seem serious to them, but we discover underlying chronic diseases such as diabetes, or hypertension.”
DeGroot cited a return of $50 in healthcare services for every donor dollar, a track record she called “amazing.”
The clinic provides ongoing primary care services to approximately 1,500 uninsured patients per year, relying on more than 200 volunteers and multiple community partners. The aim is to promote culturally sensitive, inclusive and personalized care. Volunteers speak Spanish, French, Arabic and Creole, among other languages.
The party is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. in The Plant, a location next to the clinic in Olneyville.
