Email: info@gbicsbennington.org
  802-447-3700

Category: Wellness

Category: Wellness

Since August 2023, GBCS has co-sponsored a free, no ID required, first come – first served medical, dental and vision clinic at Mt. Anthony Union Middle School (MAUMS). Staffed by licensed medical, dental and vision professionals who volunteer their time, this 2-day annual event brings essential medical, dental and vision services into the Bennington community.

Remote Area Medical – RAM® – a major nonprofit provider of pop-up clinics delivering free, quality dental, vision and medical care to those in need – will hold a free, two-day clinic on August 8-9, 2026. RAM will be set up at the Mt Anthony Union Middle School, located at 747 East Rd, Bennington. This clinic is in collaboration with Greater Bennington Community Services (GBCS).

All RAM services are free, no ID is required. Free dental, vision and medical services for adults, youth and children will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The patient parking lot will open at 11:59 p.m. (midnight) on Friday night, August 7, and remain open for the duration of the clinic. Once in the parking lot, additional information regarding clinic-opening processes and next steps will be provided. Clinic doors open at 6 a.m.

Due to time constraints, patients should be prepared to choose between DENTAL and VISION services. Medical services are offered, in addition to dental or vision services, free to every patient attending the clinic. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit http://www.ramusa.org or call 865-579-1530.

Services available at the free RAM clinic include dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental X-rays, eye exams, eye health exams, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made on-site, women’s health exams and general medical exams. Services are available for children, youth & adults.

In some situations outside of RAM’s control, such as inclement weather, volunteer cancellations or other circumstances, the parking lot may open earlier or a smaller number of patients may be served. RAM encourages everyone who would like services, especially dental services, to arrive as early as possible. Clinic closing time may vary based on each service area’s daily capacity. For more information, please see RAM’s FAQ page.

Volunteer at RAM Bennington

Each year, we recruit licensed medical, dental and vision professionals – along with general support – volunteers to help run this clinic. If you are interested in volunteering, please register with RAM using the button below:

Register to VOLUNTEER

A walk-up, farmers market-style produce event offered by the Vermont Foodbank in partnership with GBCS every 4th Wednesday from 10-11a.m. at the Bennington Fire House back parking lot 130 River Street, Bennington.

VeggieVanGo is a Vermont Foodbank program that provides free fresh produce to anyone who does not have consisent access to fresh produce! No registration is required and there are no age or income requirements to participate in VeggieVanGo.

This Veggie VanGo is a WALK-UP only! Park and walk. Bring your own bag, box, or hand trolley!

Please do not arrive before the event starts or line up vehicles on the street as we will be required to turn you away.

VeggieVanGo is held year-round in all-weather except for extreme cold or weather advisories. Whenever possible, the Vermont Foodbank will determine emergency cancellations 24-hours in advance. If an event is cancelled, the Vermont Foodbank will do their best to reschedule, but that is not always possible because of warehouse scheduling.

If you are questioning whether or not a VeggieVanGo event will be taking place, please use one of these communication mechanisms:

  • Social Media: GBCS’ Facebook page is a good resource about cancelled or rescheduled events.
  • Call: 1.800.585.2265, ext. 5019 for a regularly updated recording regarding VeggieVanGo events.
  • Email: veggievango@vtfoodbank.org to receive an auto reply which will be updated if an event has been cancelled or rescheduled.
  • Website: The Vermont Foodbank‘s website will feature a drop down red banner only if an event has been cancelled.

Remember, VeggieVanGo events can be rescheduled for holidays as well as weather events. Always remember to check the VeggieVanGo schedule and use any of the options above to confirm.

Purchase a Pre-Sale Ticket to Empty Bowls 2025

Volunteers ready to serve soup at the 2023 Empty Bowls event

Why Empty Bowls

The empty bowl is a wonderful metaphorical image. In Thailand, for example, Buddhist monks and nuns have a single possession: their bowls. Each morning, they knock on doors and receive a bit of food from each house. In this way, the empty bowl represents human interdependence, the truth that we only survive by giving and receiving.

Bennington Empty Bowls’ goals are to: 

  • Raise funds for the Kitchen Cupboard food distribution program
  • Increase awareness about the presence of hunger in our community
  • Bring the community together

Bennington, Vermont makes the empty bowl metaphor a reality by hosting its annual Empty Bowls Soup Supper. We invite the local community to gather and share delicious soup that is donated by local restaurants and chefs.

Empty Bowls 2025

What is Empty Bowls?

At Empty Bowls, members of the community come together to share a simple meal of soup and bread, donated by local restaurants and organizations, to raising funds to support the Kitchen Cupboard at GBCS while bringing awareness about food insecurity.

Please join us for this in-person event at Mount Anthony Union Middle School on Sunday, November 2, from 5-7pm. 100% of proceeds benefit the Kitchen Cupboard at GBCS, which helped feed 1,500 Bennington area residents last year!

You, our generous community, have consistently exceeded our expectations in giving and we are tremendously grateful. We are asking for your support – again – to help us meet our campaign goal!

Tickets

Pre-sale

Pre-sale tickets are available now through November 2 at $20/ticket; children 6 & under are free.

You can purchase tickets online by clicking the link below:

Purchase Pre-Sale Tickets 

You can also purchase pre-sale tickets at the following locations:

Bennington Bookshop, Bennington VT

Martin’s Mini Mart, Bennington VT

Powers Market, North Bennington, VT

Tickets Available at the Event

Day of event tickets will be sold at the door for $20/ticket; children 6 & under free.

Donate A Ticket

This year, we are offering an option to purchase a ticket for local people who are experiencing food insecurity. If you would like to donate a ticket to a shopper at the Kitchen Cupboard, please do so by following the link below or by completing the sponsorship form to the right of this page.

Purchase A Ticket to Donate

Sponsorship

Interested in being a sponsor of the Empty Bowls event? Choose a sponsorship level using the box below. We are offering 4 sponsorship levels. Every sponsorship received by October 17, 2025 will be acknowledged publicly before and during the event. Additionally, Silver, Gold and Platinum sponsors will receive 2 complimentary tickets to the Empty Bowls event.

  • Platinum Sponsorship – $1000 or above
  • Gold Sponsorship – $500 or above
  • Silver Sponsorship – $250 or above
  • Bronze Sponsorship – $100 or above

Can’t Attend? You can still participate! 

If you have questions or want to participate in the planning of Empty Bowls, please contact us at 802-447-3700.

If you are unable to attend, but would like to support our work, we would appreciate any financial donation you could give. 

Donations can be made online, using the form above, or by check. Please make checks out to GBCS, include “Empty Bowls” in the memo line, and mail them to:

GBCS, Inc.
PO Box 702
Bennington, VT 05201

Thank you for your generous support! 

two bowls of minestrone soup on a wooden table near a towel and three lemons

Midsummer Minestrone Recipe

GBICS July 11, 2021 0 Comments

Wondering what to do with all those amazing summer veggies? How about combining them all into one tasty soup? Our minestrone soup recipe is loaded with fresh produce! In fact, it’s so full of fresh veggies it can serve 6 people. Additionally, it’s adaptable. Don’t have kale? Then you can swap for spinach or swiss […]

The Dr. G. Richard Dundas Free Clinic (formerly the Bennington Free Clinic) offers free medical care. For this reason, we only serve uninsured or underinsured adults living in the Bennington County area. Because we are a clinic, we do not perform dental or emergency care. Instead, we offer primary medical care, care coordination, and referrals to our patients. By providing free health care to those that cannot afford it, we aim to improve the well-being of our community.

Health Care at the Dr. G. Richard Dundas Free Clinic

The Free Clinic serves uninsured adults, 16 and over, who cannot otherwise afford health care. You may be eligible for care if you:

You may be eligible for other health care programs as well. If so, we can help you enroll. Of course, we will continue to provide health care as you switch to other providers.

Woman (Sue Andrews) and man (Dr. Richard Dundas) pose for photo at exam table at the Free Clinic
Sue Andrews, former GBCS Executive Director, and Dr. Richard Dundas, founding Medical Director, celebrate the 2009 opening of the Free Clinic.
Photo credit: George Bouret for the Hill Country Observer

Our services include:

  • Acute and chronic disease management
  • Physical exams
  • Wellness education
  • Referrals to reproductive health services
  • Referrals to local, state, and federal resources
  • Specialist referrals when medically necessary
  • Help getting prescriptions
  • Help enrolling in state insurance programs
  • Tobacco Cessation services
  • Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)

Visit the Dr. G. Richard Dundas Free Clinic

The clinic is open weekly on Thursday evenings from 6-9 PM.  Additionally, morning hours are held on the third Monday of each month. We offer specific reproductive health care appointments on the 4th Monday of each month – time varies based on the provider. In the event of a medical emergency, please call 911.

Making an Appointment

Space is limited, so please make an appointment. You can make an appointment by calling us at (802) 447-3700. Alternatively, you may make an appointment by emailing info@gbicsbennington.org. If you can’t attend your scheduled appointment however, please call us to cancel or reschedule. We do not provide emergency care. In the event of a medical emergency please call 911.

All are Welcome

Our waiting rooms are sometimes called the “United Nations of Bennington.” That’s because we make a point to welcome all people. In fact, we’ve created policies to encourage diversity. For example, we reach out to local farms that employ people who are undocumented. So no matter your race, color, national origin, age, ability, sex, gender identity, religion, political beliefs, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, or source of income, we welcome you.

Providers

The Free Clinic offers high-quality health care at no charge because of our volunteers. In fact, even our doctors and nurses volunteer their time at the clinic. Many of our providers come from the local community. As such, most are affiliated with Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

The Free Clinic’s Partners

A wide range of local and regional partners support the clinic. For example, faith communities, charitable and social service organizations, and state agencies are among our supporters. Additionally, SVMC, local leaders, businesses, private donors, and employers also support our efforts.

The Free Clinic partners with the NAFC’s Volunteers in Medicine and the Vermont Free & Referral Clinics. The NAFC is a national nonprofit building a network of free primary health care clinics. Like GBCS, NAFC recognizes the strengths of those in need and respects their dignity. Similarly, Vermont Free & Referral Clinics is a state-wide association of free clinics. As 1 of 9 VFRC free clinics, we receive partial funding through the Vermont State budget process. Notably, for every dollar we receive from the State as a VFRC clinic, we’re able to provide eight more dollars worth of medical services for our patients. Altogether, GBCS and our partners are committed to creating a culture of caring in our communities.

Planning For Your COVID Holiday Season

Board Members November 15, 2020 0 Comments

As of November 12, the Vermont Department of Health suggests limiting social gatheringss to 10 people or fewer, keeping six feet between you and others, and wearing a mask when you’re with others. Moreover, any non-essential travel to or from Vermont now requires quarantine. So what does all this mean for your COVID holiday season? […]

Four women around a table reaching for skewers of watermelon in Bennington, VT

What Does Food Insecurity Look Like?

GBICS November 10, 2020 0 Comments

For Vermonters who struggle with food insecurity, fruits and vegetables are some of the first things that go when the budget gets tight. Let’s face it, consumers get a bigger caloric bang for their buck when they purchase foods that are high in fats and calories. Because fruits and veggies are expensive, they often fall […]

Eileen Plunkett, Nurse Manager, wearing a black mask and clear face-shield, uses arm cuff to check blood pressure of patient with glasses wearing blue mask The Dr. G. Richard Dundas Free Clinic Free primary medical care, referrals, and care coordination for uninsured adults Thursdays 6-9 PM
Jar of change - Bennington Food and Fuel Emergency Needs Fund Emergency assistance for families and individuals experiencing crisis to help pay for shelter, utilities, and other basic needs
You First Personalized support to pay for breast, cervical and heart screenings, diagnostic tests, and heart healthy lifestyle programs
Canned food stacked on a wire shelf Kitchen Cupboard Providing free food to families and individuals in need Tuesdays 3:30 - 6:30PM Thursdays 10:00AM - 6:00PM Saturdays 10:00AM - 12:00PM

The Emergency Needs Fund provides assistance to low-income families experiencing a financial crisis. Unfortunately, unexpected events like layoffs and injuries can affect anyone. These incidents make it difficult to make ends meet because they come with unforeseen expenses. Thus the Fund helps families pay for shelter, utilities and other basic needs.

Gray 1970s VW bug next to a sign that reads "Gas shortage! Sales limited to 10 gals. of gas per customer"

The Emergency Needs Fund was started by local clergy many decades ago because of the 1974 oil embargo. At the time, local clergy realized families were choosing between heating their homes and feeding their families. Thus, they created the Greater Bennington Interfaith Food and Fuel Fund. The clergy used the fund to ensure people had enough food and keep their families warm. Afterward, the Interfaith Council continued to run the fund on a grass-roots basis for several decades. Now a program of GBCS, the program has been renamed the Emergency Needs Fund. Our staff work with applicants to meet their needs. To do this, we partner with community and state resources like BROC and the Vermont Department of Health.

Using the Emergency Needs Fund

Low-income residents of the Southshire experiencing financial crisis are eligible to receive financial assistance. The Fund helps with costs like rent, mortgage payments and shelter. Similarly, funds can be used for utility payments or other household necessities. Southshire towns include: 

  • Bennington 
  • North Bennington
  • Glastenbury
  • Pownal
  • Readsboro
  • Searsburg
  • Shaftsbury
  • Stamford
  • Woodford

If you already work with a case manager from another organization, please consult them before requesting funds. To request assistance from the Emergency Needs Fund, contact the Fund Manager. Alternatively, you can also get an application at GBCS’ office on Depot Street. 

When you have completed your application, please email it to enf@gbicsbennington.org. Additionally, you may return it to GBCS’ office directly.

Fund Partners

The Emergency Needs Fund exists with support from the Greater Bennington Interfaith Council, its member faith communities, and the generous donations of many local businesses and community members.