Volunteer

Home / Volunteer

Would you like to volunteer?

Helping our community is at the heart of everything we do at Life Hope Centers. It’s why we provide our programs 1-2 times each month at various locations. At Life Hope Centers, we offer cleanings, fillings, dental extractions, oral health education and assistance to hundreds and thousands of men, women and children who, for many reasons, face barriers to dental and medical care. Since 2016, and with the help of nearly 2000 volunteers, Life Hope Centers has provided more than $684 thousand in care to more than 6000 people. Whether you volunteer your time or give of your resources, there are ample opportunities to make a difference.

sign up

VOLUNTEER FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers from the Life Hope Clinics

Life Hope Centers program locations can be found by accessing the “Clinic Schedule” tab.

Every effort will be made to set a side parking for volunteers.

The volunteer registration area will be open for the duration of the event; follow the signs once you arrive. You can pick up your name badge and T-shirt in this area at the beginning of your first volunteer shift or at the orientation the evening before. Those who register will be notified of the time and place for the orientation.

Orientation for volunteers occurs the evening before the event. Volunteers can pick up their name badges and t-shirts, and may tour the clinic areas anytime during orientation hours. Prior to the clinic, several volunteer areas have conference call orientations, which will provide clinic specifics, protocol dissemination and answers to any questions you may have. Details and schedule will be available on the “Resource” Tab

If you are unable to attend the orientation, there will be onsite orientations the day of the event so please arrive approximately 60 minutes prior to your shift and go to registration station for check in. Upon check in, if you are not sure of your shift details or the area you signed up for, our volunteer registration team will be able to let you know when you check in.

Dental services include cleanings, fillings, extractions; Vision services include a vision exam and where indicated prescription glasses are issued. Medical screening provides cholesterol and glucose analysis along with a health risk analysis.  Additional services vary based upon the local professional resources.

Eight portable dental chairs, delivery units, materials and supplies will be set up to treat patients. The chairs will recline and the units will have water and suction. Given space restraints at Life Hope Centers events, each dentist will be able to have one dental assistant. If a dentist does bring more than one assistant, extra assistants will be assigned to work elsewhere in the clinic. In the vision clinic, there are two fully equipped lanes along with auxiliary instrumentation for vision assessment.  The medical screening are hosts three lanes for blood pressure, blood draw and patient vital statistics.

Patients will fill out a registration format and then receive oral health education. They will be assessed in medical and dental triage and then receive treatment based on their most urgent needs, with the goal of eliminating pain and infection.

Volunteers can purchase a Life Hope Centers T-shirt for $5.00 and wear it during the clinic.  Otherwise wear a white T-shirt.  Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Disposable gowns will be provided for clinical volunteers for infection-control purposes. Scrub pants are a good option for clinical volunteers. The floor is concrete; remember to wear comfortable shoes.

What NOT to bring: Please leave your personal belongings safely at home. We do not have a secured area for you to leave them and want to avoid tripping hazards on the clinic floor.

All professional clinic volunteers must be licensed by the State of California or have applied and been approved for temporary licensure by the appropriate Board of California. License numbers will be requested on the volunteer registration form and verified before the event.

In addition:

  • Anyone involved directly with patient care will be required to be up to date on this or her Hepatitis vaccination.
  • The Life Hope Centers clinic will maintain universal infection control practices at all times.
  • Professionally licensed volunteers involved in patient treatment must carry the appropriate malpractice insurance and ensure the policy covers you at volunteer events. (Registered dental assistants do not need liability insurance.)  for those whose do not have malpractice insurance, we do provide malpractice insurance coverage.  To be included in our coverage you must register your current license information.

Yes. All volunteers performing dentistry, vision care or medical care must be licensed by the State of California or have applied and been approved for temporary licensure by the appropriate professional Board of California. Volunteers with inactive California dental, medical or optometric licenses or those who do not wish to apply for temporary licensure can help in areas such as medical triage, central supply, dental sterilization, patient education, etc. We would love to have your help and appreciate your expertise.

Dentists may apply for temporary licensure to provide clinical care at Life Hope Center through the California Dental Boards website.

Active TDIC policyholders are covered under their Professional Liability policies. Not all profession malpractice plan provide coverage outside the traditional clinical setting.  So it is important that you check with  your insurance carrier.

The good news is that Life Hope Centers provides malpractice insurance coverage for all volunteers.

No. Life Hope Centers has many wonderful opportunities for students, but treating patients is not allowed, even under supervision. Life Hope Centers is a great learning opportunity and we encourage students to volunteer in positions where they can interact with patients, such as patient education, exit interviews or escorting patients.

You are welcome to bring your assistant. He or she must register individually. Dentists are encouraged to have their entire offices volunteer.   This is a great opportunity for team building.

Dentists not paired with their own assistant will be paired with a volunteer assistant. Some volunteer dental assistants are still students.

We need many different types of volunteers, including pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and community members. It takes about 150 non-dental volunteers to support Life Hope Centers in positions such as patient and volunteer registration, escorting patients, interpreting, food service and more. Patients will never be left alone, so we need volunteers to escort patient between departments.

Yes. In order to ensure everyone’s safety, all Life Hope Centers volunteers need to be age 18 or older.

Absolutely! A project of this magnitude requires nearly $250,000 in tax-deductible donations and in-kind contributions to cover expenses for dental equipment and facility rentals, supplies, pharmaceuticals and food costs. Consider donating money or in-kind products or services. Any contribution will make a difference in treating thousands of patients. Contact Tara Vang (559) 347-3183 or tvang@cccsda.org, or visit the donation page for more information. You can also check the Life Hope Centers website for future volunteer opportunities.

Dental, medical and optometric instruments, supplies and materials will be provided. You are welcome to bring your favorites, just make sure that everything is CLEARLY LABLED with your name. Ultrasonic scalers are available for hygienists.

If you will be at the clinic site on the set-up day, you can bring your personal items and other equipment between 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to prep your operatory.

If you are volunteering on both days, you may leave your equipment by your chair.

No. Nitrous oxide will not be available.

Clinicians should plan to bring their own eye protection. Headlamps and extra batteries are recommended to increase visibility.

A disposable gown, masks and gloves will be provided onsite. Instruments and supplies will also be provided. A limited number of curing lights will be available, so you may want to consider bringing your own.

What NOT to bring: Please leave your personal belongings safely at home. We do not have a secured area for you to leave them and want to avoid tripping hazards on the clinic floor.

We currently have stools for both providers and assistants.  However, if you have specific need, you may consider bringing your own stool.

That will be at your own discretion.  There are usually ample hotel options and price ranges.

Very effort is made to allow for volunteer parking, but it is generally first come first serve.

Yes. Volunteers can eat meals and take breaks in a designated area where food and beverages will be provided. Please do not bring food or beverages onto the clinic areas.. Everyone should plan to eat or drink in the designated volunteer break room.

If requested, we will provide work release forms for volunteers to submit to their employers to document the time spent at Life Hope Centers.

Patients will be seen on a first come, first served basis. Cleanings, fillings, extractions will be offered. Because of the expected volume, it is likely we will have to turn people away.

Patients who are in pain often have an accompanying infection. Life Hope Centers does not want anyone to wait until the event to seek critical dental or medical attention, as delay could lead to more serious consequences. And, while the hope is to be able to treat more than 80 patients, there’s still a risk volunteers won’t be able to see everyone waiting in line for care. Every attempt will be made to care for those who are present.