Lamb Center Updates Dental Clinic Serving Fairfax City's Homeless

Presss Release: The Lamb Center

FAIRFAX, VA – July 18, 2025 — The Lamb Center celebrated the grand re-opening and dedication of its on-site dental clinic, a critical resource that will provide compassionate, comprehensive dental health care to 100’s of vulnerable City of Fairfax residents — many of whom are experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

The new clinic, made possible by significant grants and community partnerships, represents a leap forward in both equipment and dignity-centered care. With a $35,000 grant from Fairfax City’s Nonprofit Grant Program and a $25,000 grant from the Inova Community Health Fund, the previously outdated dental setup has been transformed into a fully-equipped, state-of-the-art facility that mirrors any private dental office in the region.

“Oral health is essential to overall health, and for our guests, this care is often out of reach,” said Executive Director Tara Ruszkowski. “This space offers more than cleanings and procedures—it restores dignity and wellness. It’s an answer to prayer and an act of justice.”

The upgraded clinic will provide eligible Lamb Center guests with comprehensive services. Procedures include preventative care, fillings, extractions, root canals, gum treatments, and dentures.

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Dr. Samuel Ham, a volunteer dentist at The Lamb Center, played a hands-on role in the clinic’s renovation, overseeing much of the construction and installation himself. “Everything we can do in a private dental practice, we can now do here,” said Dr. Ham. “Our guests deserve the same quality of care as anyone else in Fairfax County.”

The clinic’s journey began years ago with a vision cast by former board member Sharon Jones, and started with The Lamb Center’s first volunteer dentist, Dr. Joe Grieco. What began with portable equipment, comparable to overseas mission tools, has become a fixed and modern dental suite—built not only with funding but with prayer, perseverance, and partnerships.

During the dedication, Pastoral Director Dave Larrabee and Intern Chaplain Chris Elenbaum offered blessings, quoting Proverbs and Matthew to affirm the clinic as a “house built on the rock” and a space filled with “rare and beautiful treasures”—those who serve and are served.

This dental clinic is one of the few low-barrier, walk-in dental services in Northern Virginia serving people who are unhoused or uninsured, all at no cost to the guest. “In a time when healthcare access is being debated,” said Director of Human Services Lesley Abashian, “this clinic stands as an answer to the question: Who deserves care? Everyone.”