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SHAVERTOWN &mdash; After 24 years, a weekly free medical and legal clinic in the Back Mountain has shut down, according to one of the founding attorneys involved.
				The Free Back Mountain Medical and Legal Clinic, based out of Shavertown, shut down recently, with attorney Bernard Walter saying that it, like so much else, is another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not any more complicated than that,&rdquo; Walter said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no forseeable vaccine on the horizon, and all indications are that we have a problem that we&rsquo;re gonna have to deal with for a long time.&rdquo;
				With that in mind, Walter said it just became unfeasible to keep everyone who came to the clinic safe, as it would be very difficult for the all-volunteer operation to implement the kind of contact tracing that would be necessary to keep things going.
				Walter said that the clinic began in the Father Sammons Hall, in the basement of St. Therese&rsquo;s Church in Shavertown back in 1996. In a release he sent to the Times Leader, Walter said that he provided legal services alone at the clinic for its first few years, before eventually being joined by numerous local attorneys who provided people with legal assistance at no charge.
				Walter said that, in addition to himself, locally based attorneys that volunteered at the clinic included Jim Reinert, George Spohrer, Erik Dingle, John Aciukewicz, Jacqueline Zabresky, Michael Melnick, David Aikens, Mark Bufalino, Patrick Dougherty, Eugene Kelley, Michael Bendick, Christopher J. O&rsquo;Donnell, Kevin Grebas, David Lipka and Thomas Mosca.
				Additionally, medical services were provided by numerous doctors and nurses throughout the year, with Walter highlighting Dr. Frederick Bloom and Dr. Alan Boonin as the longest serving at the clinic.
				Walter said that it has been great providing help at the clinic throughout the years.
				&ldquo;One of the proverbs of the clinic on the legal side is that &lsquo;A little light can dispel great darkness,&rsquo;&rdquo; Walter said. &ldquo;If someone has a problem and it is bigger than he or she knows how to handle, they could sit and talk with a lawyer and get a little light.&rdquo;
				Walter said that it is regrettable that the clinic had to close, but encourages those without insurance who relied on the free clinic to look into the Affordable Care Act as a source of coverage. Similarly, Walter said numerous attorneys, such as himself, are more than willing to do pro bono work, something that is mandated by the court system.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot of fun to serve people with needs with no strings attached,&rdquo; Walter said. &ldquo;We all have lots of opportunities to help each other.&rdquo;

Attorney announces closure of Back Mountain Free Medical and Legal Clinic