WELDON — Volunteers are needed when the North Carolina Missions of Mercy (NC MOM) mobile dental clinic comes to The Centre at Halifax Community College in February.

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Dr. Bill Blaylock, a consulting dentist for HCC and director of NC MOM, updated board of trustees at its meeting Tuesday. In September, the board voted to allow the college to be a site for the organization on Friday, Feb. 19 and Saturday, Feb. 20.

“We are all volunteers and it takes an army to put this event together,” he said.

Triage will start at 6 a.m. on both days. On Friday, patients will seen from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

When the clinic arrives on campus Thursday, Feb. 18, about 25 people will be needed to set up things.

NC MOM is a portable free dental program that provides free dental services to adults in financial need with few or no other options through state several times a year.

“Access to care is important subject to me,” he said. “Our mission is to help people.”

 The program has about 12 clinics each year with three more scheduled for 2009. It is free for anyone who does not exceed the national poverty guidelines. The clinic provides fillings, extractions and cleanings. Treatment is provided on a first-come, first serve basis.

“Extractions are the biggest item,” he said. “People will wait for months and walk around in pain until a clinic.”

Trustee David Cairns asked how people were given priority.

“We take pain first but sometimes we have to turn people away,” Blaylock said.

Blaylock said a recent clinic in Dare County had 902 people seen in two days and $400,000 in free dentistry.

“It was a life-changing event for volunteers and dentists,” he said.

This year, more than 4,000 people have been served with $1.6 million in free dental care. He noted the services are provided by volunteers such as dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants and others. NC MOM has enough equipment to set a 45 chair full dental clinic. Each clinic provides for 300 to 600 people during a two-day period.

Blaylock said when NC MOM goes into a town, they like to involve the town, the United Way, security and other organizations but felt like there were resources and people available on campus.

“We could do the work ourselves,” he said.

Trustee Frank Avent said commitments for the five hotels rooms, fuel for the generators and radio time have been secured.

Blaylock said people care about the event and are willing to help.

Board chairman Dr. Stanley Edwards told Blaylock that the board appreciated what he was doing.

Blaylock ended the update stressing one thing.

“I would like to see this become a recurring thing here,” he said.

For more information about NC MOM, visit www.ncmissionsofmercy.org.