Hide Transcript Show Transcript

WALTER: TIME IS RUNNING OUT. >> WE NEED $150,000 TO PUT ON A CLINIC ITSELF. WALTER: IN JUST TWO WEEKS, A FREE CLINIC AT CAL EXPO MAY BE CALLED OFF. >> EVERY YEAR, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE FREE HEALTH CARE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. WALTER: HUNDREDS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIANS RECEIVE FREE GENTLE, VISION, AND MEDICAL -- DENTAL, VISION, AND MEDICAL CARE. >> WE SET UP 70 UNTIL CHAIRS, A FULL VISION LAB, ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT MAKES PRESCRIPTION GLASSES ON SITE, BUT WE HAD TO RENT ALL THE DRAPES THAT GO ON, PAY FOR SECURITY, RESERVE THE FAIRGROUNDS NOT JUST THE TWO CLINIC DAYS BUT THERE’S TWO DAYS OF SETTING UP THE ENTIRE THING AND A WHOLE DAY OF TAKING IT DOWN. WALTER: THEY ALSO PROVIDE ALL THE DOCTORS, NURSES, AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. THE CLINIC PROVIDES $650,000 IN FREE HEALTH CARE SERVICES. IT COSTS THEM $150,000 TO PUT ON THE EVENT. RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE $75,000 SHORT. >> WE ARE JUST NOT SEEING BIGGER SPONSORSHIP COMING IN. WALTER: THEY HELD ANOTHER FREE HEALTH CLINIC IN CHICO FOR PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE CAMP FIRE. >> WE PROVIDED OVER $600,000 WORTH OF HEALTH CARE. 45% OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SAW THERE WERE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE FIRES. WALTER: SHE SAYS AT THAT HEALTH CLINIC, CHICO RAISED THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS TO PUT IT ON, BUT THEY HAVE NOT SEEN THE SAME KIND OF SUPPORT FROM SACRAMENTO. ALTA MCCULLOUGH, KCRA 3 NEWS. BRIAN: -- WALTER

Advertisement Free community heath clinic in Sacramento may be canceled Group says lack of funding may call off the annual 2-day clinic Share Shares Copy Link Copy

An annual health clinic that provides free medical services to hundreds of Northern Californians may be coming to an end. California CareForce, which puts on the event in Sacramento, said it just doesn't have enough funding to provide the services this year."Over the past few years that we've been serving Sacramento, we haven't been getting the sponsorships or funding that we've been needing," said Emerald Carroll, with California CareForce. "We need $150,000 to help put on the clinic itself."If CareForce doesn't get the money it needs by the end of the month, the annual two-day clinic at Cal Expo may be called off."Every year, we've been able to provide free health care, absolutely no questions asked," Carroll said. "Anyone in need can come and get it."Hundreds of Northern Californians receive free dental, vision and medical care at the clinic every year."We set up 70 dental chairs. We have a full vision lab. We own all of the vision lab equipment that makes prescription glasses on site. But, we do have to rent all the pipes and drapes that go on,” Carroll said. “We have to pay for security at the fairgrounds. We have to reserve the fairgrounds, not just for the two clinic days, but there's two days of setting up the entire thing and a whole day of taking it down."CareForce also provide all the doctors, nurses and health care professionals. The two-day clinic in Sacramento provides about $650,000 in free health care services. It costs them about $150,000 to put on the event. Right now, CareForce is $75,000 short."The problem this year, we're just not seeing those bigger sponsorships coming in," Carroll said.On top of that, CareForce just held another free health clinic in Chico for the people affected by last year's Camp Fire."We saw over 1,200 peopled. We provided over $600,000 worth of health care -- 45% of the people that we saw there were directly impacted by the fires," Carroll said.She also said Chico raised the majority of the funds to put on the clinic, but they haven't seen that same kind of support from Sacramento."We need Sacramento to do the same," Carroll said.If they don't, the clinic will be canceled.If you would like to make a donation to help keep the free health clinic in Sacramento, go to CaliforniaCareForce.org.