Dream Center Partners: Part 1...

​​In the beginning… well, actually even before the beginning of the official Cabarrus Dream Center, Cabarrus Health Alliance was providing Dental Services to the people in our community in the space that is now deemed the Cabarrus Dream Center.

For those of you who may be reading from a different community, Cabarrus Health Alliance (CHA) is the leading Public Health Authority in our county. They are highly esteemed in our community, and the vast majority of the population here trusts CHA with their life… both figuratively and literally!

It was many years ago when CHA first moved into our space to begin providing Dental Services to the people of the community, but has since become a staple partner of the Dream Center. As soon as you walk into the Dream Center’s corridor, you will see the CHA Dental Services space off to the left. Five days a week, clients flow in and out of their space receiving services.

Somewhere down the road, the realization came that CHA had many more services to offer the community alongside dental services. The question began to be asked, “What best fits the demographic of people around the location here?” One of the concerns that often arose was surrounding new mothers who needed resources. CHA’s Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program filled that need. So then, the next step was getting WIC into a space here in Concord.

Keep in mind, this is still before the conception of the Dream Center.

A space down the hall from the Dental Services was opened, and so WIC moved right on in! Even today, as you walk in the Dream Center, you will see CHA’s Dental Services on your left immediately, and once you pass the reception area you will see WIC on the left as well! They are consistently serving the underserved population of Cabarrus County day in and day out.

Now that is a great story and all… but what exactly does the Dental Services provide? What exactly does WIC provide?

CHA Dental Services is actually open to anyone who needs dental care in our community. As far as treatment, the three overarching umbrellas of their services are preventative care, restorative care, and oral health education. They accept patients with any type of insurance policy, and they provide a sliding-scale for those who do not have insurance. They will meet the dental needs of anyone who comes in the door. Specifically, however, this open-care system CHA provides significantly helps families who are in poverty and need to take care of their children. They make a way for families and children to afford care and walk out just a little better than they came in. For more information on CHA’s Dental Services, visit https://www.cabarrushealth.org/103/Dental-Services.

CHA WIC services are available to pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to the age of 5. WIC has a few more guidelines than the dental services in order to receive assistance. There are income guidelines, nutritional guidelines, and others. For a full list of these guidelines, visit https://www.cabarrushealth.org/539/Who-is-Eligible-for-WIC. The great news, though, is that if you qualify for WIC, it is of no charge! The heart of WIC is to set women, infants, and children up for long term health and success as they grow.

As you can tell, Cabarrus Health Alliance is doing a lot for the community through partnering with the Dream Center here in Cabarrus County. They have been partners for a long time, but there are even more partners who are doing amazing work in our community! Stay tuned for the next blog post on another one of our partners!

In the mean time, if you know someone who might need services, take the time to help them find help on the Cabarrus Dream Center website, or bring them to the Dream Center. It could be a life altering moment as they receive help.. but also receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.