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Florence Arsenault: Volunteering for 12 years

Posted by Cheryl Bell on May 6, 2016 in News
Muaad Ali, Ahmad Alahmad, Husain Alakandari, Florence, Dr. John Christie, Tyler Nelson, Danah Al Radhan

Florence Arsenault has just wrapped up her 12th year of volunteering at the dental clinic and her group of second-year dentistry students is gathered around to see her off.

Florence walks carefully with a stick and takes a taxi to and from the Dentistry Building. She recently had a fall and has a sore hip.

But that is not stopping her. Florence plans to be back next year to do it all again. “As long as I can walk, I’ll be here,” she says. “I look forward to it.”

Florence first heard about the Dalhousie dental clinic from a neighbour. After her first visit, she decided to return as a volunteer.

Every Monday between February and April, Florence comes to the clinic and spends a couple of hours in the chair. Each year brings a new crop of second-year students to meet, and she works with that same group all year. “I like meeting them,” she says, “they are all from different places and are so interesting. I like listening to them talk.”

Florence doesn’t divulge any behind-the-scenes stories apart from to say that one dental student once jokingly said he was going to give her orange teeth.

Over the years, some of the students who have looked after Florence have returned to the clinic to teach. “I always feel that I have had good care,” she says.