A Van Donation Will Turn Into A Mobile Clinic

The Todu Guam Foundation received a much-needed donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  When founder Dennis G. Rodriguez was a senator in Guam, he realized that there was a great need for the homeless people and others who didn’t have insurance or the funds to pay for their medical care.  Through his research, he discovered that Guam is also a medically underserved area. He and his wife, Lena Calvo-Rodruguez, decided to create a company that would help “fill in the gaps” to those in need.  They have a 30 ft. mobile clinic, complete with three exam rooms, but unfortunately, this vehicle is too big to assist those who live in the jungles and other hard-to-reach places.  Because the roads are narrow and tight, the big mobile clinic must park a mile away and have their patients walk to them. They do have a regular clinic in Tamuning that has business hours from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday-Friday.  This is used mostly for follow-up care.  Unfortunately, they have a 50-60 percent cancelation rate due to their patients not having any transportation to get to them.  After hearing about the Church’s humanitarian department, they submitted a proposal for a 1-ton cargo van to the Church.  After approval, the van was ordered and finally delivered to Todu Guam.  It will be converted into a one-room exam mobile clinic.  It will help them to get to these difficult areas in Guam where they are needed the most. This will also allow them to have more frequent out-reach programs in the community.  Their mission is to provide services to the all of the under-served.  Dennis said: “We are very grateful to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their donation.  This van is a blessing to us and our island.”