Humble Beginnings

Today, I had the pleasure of visiting one of our granted charities, Caridad Center. This special organization provides medical, dental, and eye care to those most in need in our community.

Boca West Children’s Foundation comes from humble beginnings– we began in November 2010 with just over $100,000 and a couple charities. Caridad Center has humble beginnings as well.

As you turn into the Caridad Center campus, you weave down a road that once took you to a trailer behind a chainlink fence. The campus no longer looks like that. You drive down a path that twists and turns into several parking areas and arrive at a beautiful building, greeted by a children’s play area on the left.

Entering the building, I am greeted with smiles from a warm staff, busy with a full waiting room. Everyone is calm. Everyone is appreciative. Everyone feels as I do, they feel welcome.

I met with Laura Callus, CEO of Caridad Center. She showed me through the eligibility area, the medical rooms and surgical suite, around the corner to the dental clinic with many chairs, past the education center and to the eye clinic. There I am greeted by one of our Boca West volunteers, Dr. Rick Chavis.

Dr. Chavis is one of the many volunteers who donates their time to our granted charities.

Dr. Chavis proudly showed off his examination rooms in the eye clinic, introduced me to his resident volunteer, and we discussed the dental clinic funded in-part by Boca West Children’s Foundation. I observed the calm, warm demeanors of all present; the appreciative smiles of patients thankful for care; and the fulfilled staff members.

“I am just so happy with my coworkers and my work,” said Brenda Lopez, a social worker at Caridad Center. “I love Caridad.”

Without this organization, many families and their children in need would endure unnecessary suffering. The staff at Caridad provides life-changing care. From treating the flu to broken bones, cataracts to detached retinas and glasses, to root canals and more– Caridad provides care these individuals would otherwise go without.