Expanding free clinic focus of Order of Malta dinner

October 1, 2015

A dinner Oct. 13 will help fund the continuing service of the Order of Malta Clinic of Northern California in Oakland which offers free complete medical care to the poor. The special focus of the evening is to help expand the clinic’s operation to five days a week from its present half that.

The Tony and Lucille Sanchez-Corea family will receive the Champions of the Silver Chalice Award with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone presenting. This honor is given to the largest contributor or contributors to the ongoing success of the clinic.

With the continued support of private donors the facility has remained open since 2008, surpassing the average two-year life expectancy of faith-based clinics. The clinic accepts no fees for its services, nor does it receive public funding.

Since opening in Oakland in 2008, the clinic has provided over 15,000 basic medical care treatments to new and returning patients. The mission of the clinic is to “provide free medical care to the poor and needy who do not have any form of medical insurance, without regard to race, creed, or religion,” according to the Order of Malta.

The Silver Chalice Awards Dinner takes place Oct. 13, 6 p.m. at the St. Francis Yacht Club of San Francisco, cocktails, dinner, silent and live auctions with tickets $200-$5000; http://orderofmaltaclinic.com/fundraising-dinner/; sarakach@gmail.com. (510) 303-2200.