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The Lamb Center has transformed its outdated dental space into a modern clinic offering free, comprehensive care to eligible people experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
Volunteer dentists and center staff celebrated the clinic’s grand reopening July 18 at the daytime drop-in shelter in Fairfax City. The facility also provides meals, showers, clothing, laundry services, housing assistance, and recovery and employment counseling.
“Oral health is essential to overall health; and for our guests, this care is often out of reach,” Executive Director Tara Ruszkowski said. She described the clinic as a place that restores dignity and wellness while addressing a significant gap in care.
The project was supported by a $35,000 grant from Fairfax City’s Nonprofit Grant Program and a $25,000 grant from the Inova Community Health Fund, along with community partnerships.
The center’s dental program began years ago after former board member Sharon Jones proposed the idea and Dr. Joe Grieco became its first volunteer dentist. Initially reliant on portable equipment similar to tools used during overseas medical missions, the program now operates from a permanent dental suite comparable to a private practice.
Volunteer dentist Dr. Samuel Ham oversaw much of the clinic’s construction and equipment installation. He said the upgraded space allows dentists to perform the same work available in private practices, giving guests access to an equivalent standard of care.
Services include preventive treatment, fillings, extractions, root canals, gum care and dentures. The walk-in clinic is among the few low-barrier dental programs in Northern Virginia created specifically for people who are unhoused or uninsured, with treatment provided at no cost.
Pastoral Director Dave Larrabee and intern chaplain Chris Elenbaum offered blessings during the dedication ceremony, drawing from Proverbs and Matthew as they recognized those providing and receiving care.
Fairfax City Human Services Director Lesley Abashian said the clinic answers a central question in debates over healthcare access: “Who deserves care? Everyone.”