Last week I Care International received an official invitation to hold a clinic in the community of San Alejo, La Union, in El Salvador. The invitation was expedited by the San Miguel Rotary, who worked successfully with us on a previous clinic in February, 2020. San Alejo is a new community for I Care. It is one that our hosts in the Rotary Club believe is truly needy of vision services and has not been the site of a clinic like ours before.
Because this is a new community for I Care, and one that is somewhat smaller in population than communities recently served, and because we are bringing a smaller number of doctors, the I Care Board needs to limit the number of volunteers to thirty for this initial clinic.
When I Care puts together a clinic roster, it seeks out volunteers with particular skills and experience. We start by recruiting doctors, because without them we cannot function. Four doctors and two student doctors have agreed to be part of the San Alejo clinic.
Next, we add other needed skill positions such as opticians, and also non-professionals experienced in operating specific equipment, like the autorefractor and spot screener. We form a roster of volunteers by recruiting those who can fill necessary functions.
In the case of this clinic, we filled our roster during the recruitment phase. Normally, we announce a clinic and open it up to the membership. The good news is those of us who have gone on many clinics know the initial roster of volunteers is never the final group that flies to our destination. Change always happens among those who can and cannot go.
So, we urge those of you who are interested in this clinic to contact Tim McNulty, clinic leader, so he can place you on a waiting list of volunteers for San Alejo. You can email Tim at: [email protected].
Thanks for your cooperation and support.