St. Andrew's Clinic

On April 3, the students of Border Beat at the University of Arizona traveled to Nogales, Arizona.

Once a month, on the first Thursday, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church is converted into St. Andrew's Children's Clinic, a non-profit organization and free medical clinic for under-privileged children from Mexico suffering from various illnesses and handicaps.

Founded in 1973, the work of St. Andrew's clinic would not be possible without the dedication of numerous volunteers and doctors that devote their time and energy to helping these children. Doctors travel from as far as Washington and California, and many from Tucson, to be a part of this mission that has positively transformed the lives of so many Hispanic families that have been fortunate enough to utilize their services.

St. Andrew's operates from donations from the public, and perhaps one of it's largest accomplishments is it's ability to ensure that 94% of the proceeds go back to the children.

The clinic is issued 250 permits each month, and 7 men are responsible for traveling to the border to transport children and their families back to the site for medical attention.


The medical staff and volunteers have touched the lives of many and have created some incredible miracles along the way.

My personal experience at St. Andrew's was extremely eye-opening. I had never been witness to such an extraordinary project that affects so many people. It was apparent that without the aid of everyone at the clinic, most of the children would never be able to lead normal lives. My visit to St. Andrews is one I'll never forget and I hope to return to volunteer my own time some day.

The video below shows an overview of the main waiting room at St. Andrew's. Here, families wait to be seen and children play and do arts and crafts to pass the time.