They help serve those who may not have access to medical care and treatment, and now the Comox Valley Care-A-Van is seeking help from the larger community.
The Comox Bay Society Care-A-Van’s mobile outreach heath unit, which provides no fee health care to clients on the street of the Comox Valley, is desperately seeking a home for its 32-foot RV when not in use.
The mobile health care unit requires an electrical outlet to keep an auxiliary battery charged, and at minimum, a 12-foot high clearance covered space to keep the unit clean and dry.
Ideally, the location would be near the downtown core or within a 15km radius of downtown, explained Sabina Acheson, co-ordinator of the Care-A-Van.
She explained after years of generosity from the Pizzy family, the unit is seeking a new home, for at least one year.
“It would be great to have a space where we would be able to store a couple of Rubbermaid bins conveniently alongside the van, where volunteers can check stock and it allows people to load right on the spot.”
Normally, the van runs three times a week, and cleaners would show up the morning of a route or the night before to restock and clean, Acheson said. The organization, which has 12 volunteer drivers - would require a space for drivers to keep their vehicles nearby, but that could include parking on a road.
The Care-A-Van first hit the streets of the Comox Valley in 2009, offering two programs - primary health care and clothing.
Over the years, it has evolved to include optometry, dental, denture and counselling programs, along with many others. A variety of service providers donate their services for no or minimal-cost.
The concept of a mobile heath unit for the disadvantaged came from nurse Helen Boyd. Boyd has since retired from co-ordinating the van, but Barry Willis of Sunwest RV Centre - who donated and maintains the RV - explained Boyd “finally wore me down” and Willis built the unit in his shop.
“We’ve never built a mobile hospital before,” he added, and credited both Boyd and Acheson for leading the program, and for the more than 50 volunteers who “have the passion to make it happen. None of this would have happened without Helen.”
The Care-A-Van has served 1,388 people since its inception in 2009, and they helped 336 new clients last year alone.
In addition to a location for the RV, the society is also seeking donations for lightly used summer clothes and shoes, underwear for men and women, and lightly used camping gear.
To contact the Care-A-Van, or reach out with a location for the RV, call 250-702-7011, email sabina.comoxbaycaresociety@gmail.com, or visit their Facebook page at Comox Bay Care Society.