Trinity's 'clinic' offers help to those in need

Army veteran Brandon Reingardt of Roselle bravely tilted his head back, opened wide and let Dr. Robert Peterson peer inside and probe.

"It wasn't too bad," he said after his free dental checkup Saturday in the gym at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Roselle.

Though he didn't get a totally clean bill of health - a few extractions may be in order, he said - he was relieved to find that few new problems had cropped up since his last dental exam.

"He referred me to a couple good dentists," he said.

An hour after the event began, the Naperville dentist said he'd already seen about 20 patients.

"We're looking for decay, gum disease, oral cancer," said Peterson, who was joined by another dentist, two hygienists and two dental assistants. "We're screening and referring to area dental facilities. We're giving out toothpaste samples and toothbrushes and dental floss."

In another corner of the room, Dr. Jeanette Koetje, who practices emergency medicine at Cook County Hospital, was setting up for free medical screenings.

"It's been my calling to serve people on behalf of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I couldn't imagine not doing it," she said. "It's more beneficial to me, probably, than the patients."

She said patients who come in for 10- to-15 minute exams are most often concerned with controlling chronic problems, such as high blood pressure.

Both Peterson and Koetje were among about 400 volunteers who ministered to hundreds of people in need at the church's second annual "The Clinic" event.

Event attendees, expected to total between 500 and 1,000, also were able to get free optical and chiropractic screenings; pick up recycled winter clothing, blankets and brand-new handmade quilts; or take home a few bags of groceries.

The clinic also offered beauty and spa services, including free haircuts and massages, and a free family portrait service. There also was a sumptuous buffet featuring ham, eggs and bacon, roast beef, chicken, corn and mashed potatoes served in the church dining hall while church members entertained with music.

The clinic started last year as an offshoot of the church's long-standing practice of giving away Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets and hosting a holiday breakfast, said the Rev. Charles Mueller, Jr., senior pastor.

"We just expanded it. We want people to feel like they're loved in Jesus Christ," Mueller said.

"Just to be able to get a haircut, to get your nails done ... it makes you feel like a human to get a family portrait. We're trying to lift them up, give them a chance to have a great day," he said.

"They have to be taken care of physically before they can be taken care of spiritually," said Amy Herring, the church's caring service ministry leader. "It's what God commanded us to do. We need to go out and feed people and take care of them."

Herring said visitors come to the clinic from all over the Chicago area. All are welcome and no one is required to prove economic need.

As they arrived, each visitor was assigned a volunteer advocate who guided them through the process of selecting services and scheduling appointments.

In a classroom-turned-beauty-shop, Diane Keys of Elgin was getting her long, layered locks trimmed and styled by volunteer Nora Zaya, a beauty student at the Tricoci University of Beauty Culture.

Keys said she brought her three children, ages 4, 6 and 10, for haircuts and winter coats.

"A friend told us about it. We came last year," she said.

Since then, her family has weathered some new challenges.

"My husband became disabled in the past year," she said.

She said she was considering next getting a relaxing back massage when Zaya finished her cut.

"I have really thick hair, so it gets really heavy. I just need it thinned out," said Keys. "I can't usually afford to get it done very often. It's very pampering."