5/4/2024

Free Clinic At UWest: Collective Effort Serving the Community

University of the West (UWest), UCLA APA Health Care, Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple, and LA County Department of Mental Health Co-Host Annual Community Free Health Check-Up on May 4. The annual free health clinic event took place on the UWest campus, providing services to over 150 community members.

This year's event expanded its range of services to include eye exams, blood sugar tests, cholesterol analysis, and popular services such as dental care, traditional Chinese medicine consultations, Alzheimer’s and dementia workshops, and mental health counseling.

The clinic was supported by over 20 suppliers and 80 volunteers from various groups, including UWest, UCLA, UC Irvine, BLIA LA YAD 2, Hsi Lai Buddhist Academy, Garfield Health Center, Asian Youth Center, U.S. Public Health Service, Chinatown Service Center, AltaMed PACE, and the North America Taiwanese Medical Association, demonstrating a strong commitment to community health.

UWest President Dr. Minh-Hoa Ta delivered a welcome speech, expressing gratitude for the collective service to the community. Ven. Hui Dong, Abbot of Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple, followed with a speech thanking the participating organizations and highlighting the event's role in promoting the practice of the "Three Acts of Goodness," bringing light to the world and fostering inner peace and beauty. Appreciation certificates were then presented to all organizations that assisted in organizing the clinic and workshops.

The event attracted a large crowd early in the morning, with some arriving as early as 8 AM. By noon, several service stations, including dental services and the UCLA mobile eye clinic, were fully booked. The Garfield Health Center also exhausted its blood sugar and cholesterol test supplies. Most attendees were seniors, particularly interested in workshops related to Alzheimer's and aging.

Leader of the Social and Outreach Department of Hsi Lai Temple, Ven. Zhi Xing, BLIA LA San Gabriel Subchapter members, BLIA LA YAD 2 youths, and students from Hsi Lai Buddhist Academy also assisted in guiding community members through the clinic.

(Photos by Dora Dong)