FARMINGTON — Forming a Caravan of Caring, a dozen community members visited nearly half the 16 programs supported by the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area on Thursday. Presentations and tours on each program were provided.

The purpose was to learn and to share what they learned after they traveled the Route 4 corridor in Farmington and Wilton, Lisa Laflin, executive director of the local United Way, said. The first-time caravan went from Community Dental to the Healthy Community Coalition, Safe Voices, Western Maine Community Action, Franklin County Children’s Task Force and Work First, where a presentation on Western Maine Transportation Services was also provided.

Funding for the United Way programs provides help for people in critical need and educational services that can help develop long-term solutions to local issues, according to information from Laflin.

Sharing the story of Community Dental, Kathy Gregory, patient services coordinator at the Farmington Dental Center, told the group the center provides emergency dental care and programs on dental health for children and adults.

Community Dental was founded in Portland in 1918 as a dental service for children living in a Red Cross orphanage after a swine flu pandemic. Services have expanded to children and adults at five Maine sites, including a small office in Farmington in 1997. A new, larger office opened on the second floor of the Franklin Health Commons this past summer with three dentists and two hygienists.

Community Dental works to make access to dental care easier on patients, starting early, working late and most holidays, Gregory said. Walk-in emergency care is available in sometimes as little as an hour or within 24-hours, she said. 

“The No. 1 reason for hospital emergency room visits for ages 24-40 is dental pain,” Gregory said. “It’s no place to go. There’s no treatment. They can’t do anything.”

The pain is relieved by narcotics at an average cost of $350, she said, whereas Community Dental can examine, X-ray and treat the cause for about a third of the cost.

Students in kindergarten, grades two and four in Franklin County schools receive dental education from Community Dental staff through a program called Franklin Smiles. Developed with the help of a Healthy Community Coalition intern and Franklin Memorial Hospital, the program can be adapted for high school students or adults.

While the dental office serves everyone, funding from the United Way helps provide for families who pay on a sliding fee scale and also provides a patient fund for those without insurance to cover emergency care. People pay what they can, sometimes $50, sometimes $5, which helps stretch the fund further, Gregory said. 

Other programs visited offer a variety of services with help from the United Way.

* The Healthy Community Coalition provides free health screenings and health information. 

* Western Maine Community Action uses UW funds for its Elder Service program, which provides housing-related resources to help low-income people.

* Safe Voices offers emergency services and support of victims of domestic violence, support groups and emergency shelter.

* The Franklin County Children’s Task Force provides community education to prevent child abuse and neglect.

* Work First provides work experiences for adults with developmental disabilities.

* Western Maine Transportation offers public transportation to those who otherwise could not access medical and other services.

“Last year UWTVA raised $393,000 to help 16 agencies provide immediate basic human needs and create lasting change for people in Greater Franklin County,” according to the United Way.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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