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For more information, please see our University Websites Privacy Notice and we’re all really happy and grateful that we have support to do this' More than 200 UConn student volunteers will join together with teams of medical, dental, and vision care providers this Saturday and Sunday as the University’s Medical Clinic Club, in partnership with the nonprofit Remote Area Medical takes over Windham Middle School in Willimantic to offer a free pop-up health care clinic to area residents Patient parking will open at midnight on Saturday first-served basis – at no cost – with doors closing once the day’s capacity is reached Parking starts again at midnight on Sunday and the two-day clinic ending once it again reaches capacity Patients should plan to attend as early as possible to ensure they’re able to be seen All services are free and open to the general public and Spanish-language interpreters and providers will be on-site and readily available for both days This weekend’s free clinic marks the second occasion that the Medical Clinic Club has organized this event to offer no-cost care to those in need in the greater Willimantic area alongside Remote Area Medical held in March 2024 and led by UConn alum Brooke DiVasto ’24 (CLAS) saw more than 400 volunteers provide more than $150,000 in free health care services to 212 patients over two days a physiology and neurobiology major at UConn Storrs and the club’s current president and community host group lead because it’s nice to see the impact of an initiative,” Costa says A lot of us were able to hear their stories hear how infrequently they were able to get medical care and seeing that impact really gives us the drive and passion to keep doing this work.” is led by a nine-person organizing team that spends the better part of the year planning was used to outfit a new Resource Hallway for the clinic where patients will have access to nonperishable food items and other supplies they can take home with them after receiving care – an addition to this year’s clinic that the student organizers are excited to be able to offer to those who attend We’ve got a lot of different nonperishable food options We did a book sorting event at the Mansfield Public Library alongside the Friends of the Mansfield Library and we got a lot of books from them that we thought would be good for the elementary-to-middle school level study books for parents or kids to take with them winter hats and gloves – because it’s still a little bit cold out We cast a very wide net on the items we wanted to have in the hallway.” While volunteer registration for this year’s clinic has closed – response from the UConn community was enthusiastic and the club met its volunteer goals weeks ago Costa says – the club is already organizing for next year and beyond UConn students interested in joining in the effort are encouraged to connect with the club through UContact in order to receive the most up-to-date information on volunteer opportunities UConn students interested in volunteering for the next clinic are urged to sign up early club members also plan to expand the scope of their work to help those who attend this weekend’s clinic find the care they need beyond the actual clinic days “A big thing about us is that it’s not just free care for this one day – follow-up care is super important,” he says all of our volunteers will come together for two nights to call back all of these patients to help them organize follow-up care We’ve already worked with some local medical and vision offices that are in the area and are open to new patients open to patients who may not have insurance or open to patients that maybe have Medicare or Medicaid and we’re all really happy and grateful that we have support to do this.” Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInWILLIMANTIC CT (WFSB) - A shooting occurred near the campus of Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic on Monday night Officers responded to reports of a shooting in the patio area of Blarney’s Cafe at 49 High Street they found an adult male victim with a gunshot wound to the arm The victim was transported to Windham Hospital where his injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening Police say the shooting appears to have stemmed from a dispute between local residents and they stress that it was not a random act The suspect or suspects fled the scene following the incident The incident prompted an alert from the university that warned students and staff about the situation Although most students were on spring break the campus residence hall is located nearby Authorities are continuing to investigate and are considering the possibility of additional victims or parties who have yet to come forward Police confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the community Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Tatro at 860-465-3135 Refresh this page and watch Eyewitness News for updates CT (WFSB) - A soup kitchen in Willimantic asked for donations after thousands of pounds of food were lost due to a cooler issue said in a post on their Facebook page that their walk in cooler went down overnight These items were intended to help meet the growing need for food assistance during the holiday season They are asking for items such as meat that can be frozen Any donations can be brought to the deliveries door that is located in the back of the church when they are open They are also accepting monetary donations via Venmo, which can be accessed HERE. 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Please click here to see any active alerts The site of a former textile mill has been redeveloped as the Willimantic Whitewater Park a 3.5-acre riverfront area that brings biking kayaking and nature to the diverse community that surrounds it in downtown Willimantic Willimantic is known as Thread City for its history of textile mills during the 19th and 20th centuries Sitting on the banks of the powerful Willimantic River in the Town of Windham Willimantic was a major producer of silk and cotton textiles and operated as a rail hub in the early 20th century with more than 100 trains running through town daily The city's decline began after World War II and continued until the mills had all closed by the 1980s The site of Willimantic Whitewater Park was once the home of the Windham Cotton Manufacturing Co It was then home to a variety of industrial businesses a gas station and car wash in the 1960s through the 1980s Started as a grassroots movement in the summer of 2002 the Willimantic Whitewater Partnership was founded primarily to create a whitewater kayaking park became available for sale several years later the group envisioned it as the perfect location for their park Home to Eastern Connecticut University and the Windham Textile Museum this town now boasts a beautiful waterfront park and trail hub for biking Willimantic Whitewater Park has created a recreational hub for a multicultural community and attracts visitors for Riverfest and other chemicals in the soil stood in the way of the partnership's plans for the site Thanks to the commitment shown by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development to fund both assessment and cleanup activities at the site and a direct cleanup grant from EPA an overall investment of $356,000 in Brownfields funding enabled the project to become a reality "The EPA Brownfields Grant has helped us turn what was once a dumping ground into a source of pride and a recreational resource for the whole community but now it is revealed for everyone to enjoy Work continues to develop our vision of creating an urban waterfront park and regional trails hub in the heart of Willimantic." Willimantic Whitewater Park is now a revived urban recreational area that has evolved into a whitewater park and recreational hub along the Willimantic River The park's trails follow converted railroad beds and the river a design competition was held at the park for renewable energy-producing public art collects and converts sunlight into the energy equivalent to what would be consumed by 25 households The park is seeking more funding for this aspect of their mission as well as more landscaping and trail-related amenities.