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Wellness clinic proponents kick off fundraising drive

Proponents of a health clinic in Point Roberts will be kicking off a fundraising drive at the beginning of November to raise the money, muscle and mortar needed to turn a slice of the bingo hall at the Benson Road fire station into a health clinic.

The Wellness Clinic incorporated as a non-profit organization in September, bringing together the Point Roberts Pioneer Group, fire district five and the Interfaith Community Center in Bellingham. In April the three groups presented plans for the clinic, which they expected to open this fall. However, they have been stymied by a number of bureaucratic loopholes they hope will close in the next couple of weeks, allowing the group to start construction. “A lot of people think there hasn’t been much happening with the clinic but the opposite is true,” said Wellness Center president Brian Canfield.

Just prior to the April public meeting the Pioneers received a $200,000 federal grant, renewable for three years, after getting the Point designated a medically under-served area. The fire department was selected as the official agency to receive the funds and agreed to provide space for the clinic. The Interfaith center was brought on board to manage the clinic operation, staff and billing, drawing from its existing operation in Bellingham.
“When we made the application for the grant we made a number of assumptions and some of those turned out not to be true,” Canfield said.

One of the first unanticipated hurdles was the end for a conditional use permit to change part of the fire hall into a clinic. Volunteer firefighter and professional permit consultant Deborah Knowles donated her time to prepare the application and it will be before the hearing examiner for final approval at 1 p.m. on November 6.

Another sticky spot was a shred of state law that prohibits fire districts from providing primary care. Canfield said it took lobbying the state attorney general and auditor to be allowed to proceed on the promise they would work to get the legislation changed.

Canfield said they hadn’t anticipated needing funds in addition to the grant money, in kind donations from volunteers and the $45,000 founding Pioneer Ed Aydon raised over decades to provide community services by investing the proceeds of pop cans he collected. “The grant application didn’t include bricks and mortar,” he said

The fire department is barred from using public money collected for emergency services for another use, but they will use the clinic’s first year’s lease money to make modifications to the firehall that will benefit district operations but also move the clinic remodel forward. Beyond that the Pioneers will pick up the tab for leasehold improvements to turn the space into a clinic. Canfield anticipates they will need to raise $30,000 to $70,000, but not all in cash. “We’re looking for volunteers to help with construction and for donated materials,” he said. He is confident the dollars will not be difficult to raise. “Just a few of us sitting around drummed up $5,500,” he said.

Canfield said he hopes the clinic can be open in the spring.

“Almost everything that has caused our delay has been unforeseen bureaucratic process,” he said. “It’s been a long struggle but it’s going to happen.” To donate to the clinic, call 945-1711 or 945-3580. Once the clinic is completed a plaque will be hung to recognize each donor.

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