Santa Maria Church Hosts Free Life Hope Center Clinic, Offering Health Services to Hundreds

SANTA MARIA, Calif. — On Sunday, April 27, the Santa Maria Seventh-day Adventist Church became a center of compassion and care as it hosted a free clinic organized by Life Hope Centers, providing essential health services to hundreds in the community.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 139 volunteers provided 346 services to 217 registered attendees. The event offered dental care, vision screenings, medical counseling, podiatry, physical therapy, haircuts, and spiritual counseling.

Dental care was particularly in demand, serving 69 patients with 49 cleanings, 12 fillings, and seven extractions. Vision care assisted 81 individuals, including 45 single-vision and 34 bifocal prescriptions. The clinic also provided 91 haircuts, 52 physical therapy sessions, 26 medical counseling consultations, 16 podiatry visits, eight nail trimmings, and two spiritual counseling sessions.

“The communication is that there’s no strings attached. We’re just here to help people enhance their quality of life,” said Dr. Edward Urbina, a volunteer dentist at the clinic. He noted that dental and vision care were among the most sought-after services during the event. 

Life Hope Centers, an initiative by the Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, has organized similar events across California since 2016, offering over $2.3 million in free services to date. Collaborations with local organizations such as CHC, Dignity Health, San Luis Obispo Noor Foundation, Mariposa Project, AmeriCorps, Women’s Mobile Health, and the Vandenberg Village Lions Club made this event possible.

“Everyone we’ve talked to and the feedback we’ve received has all been positive, and they all just appreciated the services they received—especially those who don’t have health insurance,” said Pinhkeo Southaphanh, Church Health Ministries Director. 

Life Hope Centers plans monthly clinics throughout the year. For more information or volunteer opportunities, visit www.lifehopecenterscentral.com.

Written by Justin Kim