Nature Coast Ministries welcomes new director, focuses on its free dental clinic | Local News

From time to time it can take a while for an group to come across its niche.

In 2008, Mother nature Coast Ministries commenced out as a team of area pastors and volunteers wanting to enable people today who ended up toughest hit by the downturn in the economic system.

They did a minimal little bit of this, a minor little bit of that, gave people foodstuff and home furnishings, assisted shell out electrical charges.

And they helped a whole lot of people today.

Around the several years, they rented place for their functions in which they could, no matter whether it was in Crystal River or Homosassa, and they’d use part of their rented area for a thrift keep to deliver money to health supplement donations from church buildings and men and women.

They came to be recognized as the corporation to convert to if you experienced a dwelling hearth or you had been homeless and have been shifting into an apartment, furnishing your new area with every thing you essential.

“We’ve furnished 83 residences due to the fact the beginning of our ministry,” mentioned Cynthia Oswald, Mother nature Coastline Ministries president.

Nevertheless, even though they nevertheless do that, that hasn’t been their primary aim for about seven a long time.

“By the grace of God this firm has grown drastically, but surprisingly, a lot of individuals really do not know about our (no-price tag) dental clinic, and that’s our mission. That is in which all the funds from our thrift keep goes,” Oswald said.

“It’s the only free dental clinic in the entire county, and people today however never know about it,” she mentioned.

In 2014, Citrus Memorial Wellness Basis gave Character Coastline Ministries $100,000 to invest in and maintain dental tools for a totally free dental clinic.

The clinic first started off in the previous Catholic Charities creating in Homosassa right until they opened the present-day clinic in December 2015, with its shiny black and white flooring and clean up grey walls, at 7655 W. Gulf-to-Lake Freeway Unit 8, Crystal River.

The providers, cost-free for cash flow-skilled men and women and by-appointment only, are limited to extractions and fillings, with the intention of having people wholesome.

Companies are furnished by volunteers – dentists and dental assistants.

Immediately after six and a 50 percent several years, Character Coast Ministries board users understood they had arrived at a place exactly where they necessary to go to a distinctive degree.

People today still didn’t know who they have been or what they’re about.

4 months in the past, they hired a new executive director, Sonja McCaughey, a former Tampa Law enforcement Office officer.

“In 2007, I purchased a lake property listed here as a family vacation spot, and fulfilled Bonnie (McMullin),” McCaughey explained.

McMullin handles general public relations for the group and is just one of its most ardent cheerleaders.

“I’ve generally believed in this ministry,” McCaughey said. “I have a brother who has Down syndrome and is nonverbal, and he benefited from an business like this one in Tampa wherever he was in a position to get dental treatment. He had an unbelievable an infection, and it is astounding it did not kill him. So, I know how crucial this dental clinic is to this group.”

In the 4 months McCaughey has been at the helm, she explained she regularly satisfies folks who really do not know about the dental clinic or they consider it is for veterans only.

Quite a few of the people they see at the clinic are veterans, Oswald claimed, but not solely.

It’s for any Citrus County resident who does not have dental insurance and is inside 200 p.c of the federal poverty guideline.

A different misconception people have is about the Character Coastline Ministries thrift retail outlet.

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve read folks say they believed the thrift retail store was privately owned and that out of the goodness of the owner’s coronary heart they were donating to the (dental) clinic, and which is not genuine,” McCaughey explained. “The thrift keep experienced often been owned by Nature Coastline Ministries, with all the revenue likely to the no-expense dental clinic.”

In addition to a new executive director, Nature Coastline Ministries also employed Sarah Hardy as thrift retail store manager.

The thrift shop is at 4546 S. Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa, in the plaza wherever Ollie’s is located.

Now that they have individuals positions filled, additionally an business office supervisor for the dental clinic, one of the ambitions is for McCaughey to be out in the group speaking to people about what Nature Coast Ministries does and what they have to have in order to do what they do.

Very first and foremost, they need to have volunteer dentists, even if it is only a single working day a month or one particular or two days a 12 months, or even a just one-time shift.

At the moment, they have 80 individuals on a ready record, waiting to see a dentist, Oswald mentioned.

Moreover volunteer dentists, donations of dental equipment which is no lengthier essential, also dental materials, would be significantly appreciated.

The Mother nature Coastline Ministries thrift retailer has many demands, as effectively:

The back place of the thrift retail outlet where by they form donations requires better lights, also extra shelving and durable ways to get to shelves that are higher on the wall.

They also need an individual to set up safety cameras, and they could use the services of an electrician and a plumber.

To understand much more, to volunteer or make a donation, contact the clinic place of work at 352-422-4327 or electronic mail [email protected].

Go to the site at www.my ncm.com.