DENTAL STORIES:

Workplace injury, early pension, no benefits. A 55-year-old man who just started on CPP pension had left his position as a heavy machine mechanic after suffering neurological damage from exposure to industrial toxins. Since then 2 of his front teeth had fallen out due to nerve damage. The first time he came to the Care-a-Van was at the food bank stop. Someone in the line told him he should talk to the nurses about the dental program. He was rather surprised to find that his pension was so low that he could barely maintain housing. After working so many years he had not expected that his dental benefits would not carry over when he left the workplace. He pursed his lips while he spoke reluctantly admitting that he was a bit embarrassed that he had not paid more attention to pension stuff, he truly thought he would work much longer and know more closer to 65. He noted he was very self conscious and felt ashamed to ask for help. He identified "I have always been the one to help people, fixing the cars of single mothers, helping people with loans for their utility bills, cutting the neighbors grass when they are away, volunteering at fundraiser, you name it." Being away from work had been a hard adjustment for him and wanted to teach or retrain at something different. He worried that even if he did, he wouldn't make it past the interview because of his smile. Care-a-van supported him with obtaining a bridge to repair the teeth. He has gone on to teaching in trades and community service.

Dental Stories:

Pain free/ working poor. A low income single, working mother of 4 children diligently brought her children in for care at Cumberland dental using the Healthy kids’ program. She was in excruciating pain and had been going to walk in clinics to get antibiotics for an abscessed tooth which she could not afford to get repaired. She saved up part of the money needed for a root canal, but could not collect enough to complete the procedure in a timely fashion. A private donor in the community provided funds to the Care-a-van specified for single working parents without dental benefit. She was able to get the work done right away. We work with community partners to support people who are homeless or low income to obtain dental services. We help people who are eligible to gain an income source through the Ministry to ensure they have access to basic annual or biannual benefits for dental service. Through generous donations from the public we have been able to provide people with access to urgent and emergent care in cases where they would otherwise not be able to obtain dental.

Cold weather has turned out focus to seeking donations of:Mens/Womens/Non-binary socks & gloves, winter clothing layers, sleeping bags & blankets. Call 250-331-1413 to coordinate pick up or drop off! Thank you!

Boyd Stepping Away from Care-A-Van

Guest User May 31, 2016

Comox Valley Record, May 31st, 2016

June 30, 2016 will mark the end of a long magnificent journey for Helen Boyd. She is the founder and creator of the Care-a-Van, a mobile health-care clinic for the Comox Valley.

Care-A-Van Extends to Cumberland

Guest User May 12, 2016

Comox Valley Record, May 12th, 2016

The Comox Bay Care Society is expanding its health care service to the homeless and those at risk of homelessness in Cumberland. Beginning Friday, May 13, the Care-A-Van mobile health care unit will visit Cumberland weekly on Fridays from 1 to 1:45 p.m. on Dunsmuir Avenue between First and Third Streets. Everyone is welcome to drop in and help spread the word.

The Care-A-Van Story

Guest User May 21, 2015

John enters the Care-A-Van for a meeting with the nurses. The Comox Bay Care Society Care-A-Van has been serving the Valley's most vulnerable citizens for six years. What started as a primary care unit has evolved to offer dental care, optometry, counselling and other services.

Care-A-Van: Five years of charitable health

Guest User May 16, 2014

Comox Valley Record, May 16th, 2014

For the past five years, the innovative Care-A-Van – a mobile outreach clinic serving individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness – has been on the streets of the Comox Valley. To date, its volunteers have provided healthcare services to over 850 individuals at no cost. As we celebrate the fifth year of this success, it is fitting to look back at its brief history.

Care-A-Van Nurses Mobilizing Change

Guest User May 1, 2014

Canadian Nurses Association, May 2014

Our Comox Valley community on Vancouver Island has a large number of homeless people, who live in very rough conditions out of doors, as well as many who are at high risk of being homeless. The community has limited resources for affordable housing and has large rural areas where those who are homeless might be staying. These people are an “invisible” part of the community living on the fringes of society. They are not glamorous. Nor do they benefit from any dedicated social programs. Actually, they face a lot of prejudice, including those related to mental health problems and addictions.

Tapping Into Her Power

Guest User September 15, 2013

Canadian Nurse Magazine, Sept. 2013

Helen Boyd overcame a sense of powerlessness and hit the road to help the homeless in her community Much of the homelessness in British Columbia’s Comox Valley is hidden, says Helen Boyd: “You have to know where to look.” In its lush forests, nestled between the Strathcona mountain range and the sea, some hundred people live year round in dilapidated campers or tents. In its picturesque towns, young families stake out space in the living rooms of sympathetic friends for a night or two, then move on to the next temporary dwelling.