Arkansas Free Clinic Seeks Volunteers for October 24-25

Free healthcare is coming to Fort Smith, Arkansas, and volunteers are making it possible.

Remote Area Medical (RAM), a nonprofit that delivers pop-up health clinics to underserved communities, will set up at Kay Rodgers Park on October 24 and 25. The organization is seeking medical professionals and everyday volunteers to help provide free dental, vision, and medical services to anyone who needs them.

The clinic will offer dental cleanings, fillings, and extractions, plus eye exams and glasses made on the spot. Medical services include general health exams and women's health screenings. No insurance required, no ID needed, and everything is completely free.

Arkansas College of Dental Medicine and the Degen Foundation are hosting the event. They're looking for dentists, doctors, and vision professionals, but also general volunteers who can help with setup, greet patients overnight in the parking lot, or serve as interpreters.

You don't need medical training to make a difference. Setup volunteers are needed on Friday, October 23, and takedown help is needed on Sunday, October 26. Parking lot greeters will welcome patients who often arrive the night before to secure a spot.

The Ripple Effect

RAM clinics remove two massive barriers that keep people from getting care: cost and distance. For families living paycheck to paycheck, a dental filling or eye exam isn't just expensive. It's impossible.

These pop-up clinics bring healthcare directly to communities where people might otherwise go years without seeing a dentist or getting new glasses. A simple eye exam can help a child succeed in school. A dental extraction can end months of pain. These services change lives in a single weekend.

Services will be provided first-come, first-served until capacity is reached. That urgency is exactly why volunteers matter so much. The more hands helping, the more patients can be seen.

Anyone interested in volunteering can visit ramusa.org/volunteer or call 865-579-1530.

One weekend of your time could give someone their first dental checkup in years.