Low-cost dental clinic opens in Chester

Three years before a Wyoming billionaire decided that the city of Chester could use a dental clinic,

the first-floor

room in the Frederick Douglass Christian School was merely a concrete shell.

It had been used as a pantry, office, and storage space.

But on May 4, the renovated room will open as the Grace Dental Clinic, with state-of-the-art equipment and a volunteer staff that will charge just $10 per visit.

"We need this in this city," said Kim Strand, a stay-at-home mother from Chester. "A lot of people don't have dental insurance or they may not have it in their [medical] plan. To have it here will help people be more health-conscious."

The clinic is part of World Impact, an urban ministry whose staff has worked in Chester since the late 1980s. The ministry runs the K-5 school named for Douglass, the 19th-century abolitionist, as well as programs ranging from church plantings and prison ministry to Bible studies and youth.

The new clinic is an extension of the ministry and will offer prayer to clients who opt for it. But prayer is not required, said Andrew Lee, director of World Impact Chester.

Lee led a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday at the clinic.

Two of World Impact Chester's longtime benefactors, Lynn and Foster Friess of Wyoming, are the financial force behind the clinic. Foster Friess, a former resident of Chadds Ford, made his money managing the $15.7 billion portfolio of the Brandywine Fund. He is also a prominent backer of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum's presidential bid.

Three years ago, Friess was playing golf at the Stonewall course in Elverson with a group that included Ken Fetter, a dentist from Wayne. Friess asked Fetter whether he'd like to be involved in a dental clinic project in Chester. Fetter said yes.

Others soon signed on to help. Cunningham Construction in Havertown, McGillan Architecture of Bala Cynwyd, Benco Dental in Horsham, and Carestream Dental of Atlanta all donated services and equipment.

For their part, the Friesses donated $100,000 for the clinic. The couple could not be reached for comment.

Money for the continued operation of the clinic will be sought through expanded fund-raising efforts, Lee said.

The clinic has brand-new dental chairs and X-ray and sterilization equipment. Services include dental cleaning, fillings, bonding, tooth replacement, and root canals. Additional services will be added later.

Fetter's staff at Wayne Family Dentistry will volunteer at the clinic, which is to be open only on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at first. Fetter is seeking more volunteers; added staff will enable the clinic to expand its hours of operation.

A local minister, Barron Lacy, who spoke during the ribbon-cutting, said the project had divine assistance.

"God has been good," said Lacy, who runs the Ninth Street Youth and Community Center. "This is a good Good Friday."