Pivotal low-cost dental clinic in Nanaimo re-opens thanks to community support
NANAIMO — The drills are once again buzzing at the only low-cost dental clinic north of the Malahat.
CODE Community Dental Clinic on Wallace St. officially re-opened on April 16 after piecing together enough money to operate through March 2020. The non-profit clinic, run by the Nanaimo Region John Howard Society, was forced to close in mid-February due to a funding shortfall.
“People were being forced to go to general practice dental clinics and those aren’t necessarily set up for the kind of clients we help to support. It was an uncomfortable situations for sure,” John Howard executive director John McCormick told NanaimoNewsNOW.
McCormick said they received a glut of calls from people both missing the service and pledging support after news of the closure broke. He said the money needed to re-open came from a variety of sources, including corporate and individual donations and other social agencies like United Way.