Since the first day...

of volunteering, I noticed that the majority of the patients that step in the dental clinic are African American. This made me think about the racial statistics of homeless people in Houston, and I realize that the black population dominates the homeless community. Many of these patients feel like they were forced into their current situation that snowballed until it got even worse. There was one 22 year old black man who was kicked out of his house by his dad when he was just sixteen, trying to get a job at various places in order to pay for food and shelter. After a while, jobs became so scarce that he resorted to buying and selling cocaine in order to pay for what he needed, and he ended up a cocaine addict. Now he is in a faith-based drug rehabilitation center, and when he came to the clinic, every single one of his 25 teeth were so decayed due to drugs that they all need extracting. Talking with someone who is around my age in this type of situation is eye opening, knowing that he was living the hard life at such a young age only to be saved through his devotion to his faith. Learning to never give up is key to moving forward, and at such a young age, he managed to roll with the punches and always work hard. You can learn more when you talk to someone who has less.

-Duc Lam

I would hear many...

stories from the homeless patients that vary from drug abuse and family death to job searching and emotional pain. As they are sitting in the patient chair, many of them really opened up to us about their past and what has happened in their lives. There was one man who had a glass eye as a result of a knife fight and was sent to jail even though he says that it was for something that he didn’t do. Normally, this would be considered a bad thing, but he praises God for this. I was surprised at first but he then proceeded to explain that this helped to set him straight again. At first he thought it was a bad thing but realized that he would never have quit doing drugs if he wasn’t sent to prison. He praises God through his difficult times, and he truly was an inspiration to me as I was listening to him tell me about his life. Whatever situation we are in and no matter how hard, I learned and believe that many things we go through are for the better, and we grow as individuals as life's experiences take us down bumpy roads.

-Duc Lam

The more I volunteer...

at the dental clinic, the more I realize how important this clinic is for the homeless patients.  Almost every patient walks in with pain or embarrassment and leaves with gratefulness and appreciation.  Since none of them can afford dental care or have any insurance to pay for them, they do not have any way to take care of their teeth that are in the worst possible conditions. This leaves many with numerous, large cavities, missing teeth, and different levels of gum infection that cause them daily pain or suffering to the point where many will not or cannot eat. After the procedures, the patients would almost always thank us for the work that we do and leave the clinic happy, giving us a great sense of happiness and accomplishment. When talking with them, I not only had sympathy but also great respect for many of the patients. I learned that the majority of them are actively striving to work towards a better goal and life for themselves, even though they are in a tough situation and are not as lucky as most of us. Learning appreciation is a valuable lesson that I think is hard to come by, and I am glad that I was able to have these experiences.

-Duc Lam

At Healthcare for the Homeless Houston...

all of the volunteers and workers there are very nice and welcoming, making me and the patients there feel comfortable with the dental clinic. The most interesting part of volunteering is the fact that I am able to directly interact and talk to the homeless patients while they are waiting for the dentist. On my first day, I did not talk too much to the patients, but I definitely learned a lot about their situations and characters, removing some stereotypes that I originally had towards the homeless community. This was a great start in my desire to help others, giving me the opportunity to see things through other people's eyes that I would normally overlook and learning the value of sympathy.  

-Duc Lam