AJs Assembly Line Second Shift

Totals In, $925 to FernCare

By, Crystal A. Proxmire

As the 313^th hour of the world-record breaking Assembly Line Second Shift Concert came to a close, the cheering fans at AJs Music Café in Ferndale paid homage to the American Auto Worker with tunes about the assembly line and the families affected by the closing of so many automotive factories throughout the Detroit area. 

But in addition to helping give recognition to the problem of worker displacement, the Assembly Line Second Shift concert raised $925.24 towards an upcoming free health clinic.

FernCare is a community-organized free health clinic that will be opening later this spring.  The clinic was started by local volunteers who saw the need for medical services for people who couldn’t afford insurance.  The clinic will treat persons from 18 through 64 years of age. It will provide primarily non-emergency maintenance care of chronic illness, do checkups, diagnose and treat acute day-to-day illness, dispense generic medications, and make specialist referrals for obstetric, dental care and sexually transmitted disease treatment and other care beyond our scope of service. The pharmacy will not stock any controlled drugs, narcotics or any highly addictive drug of any sort.

AJ O’Neil, owner of AJs Café, has hosted three FernCare fundraisers at his eclectic coffee shop.  On March 20, 2010 O’Neil and the Assembly Line Second Shift organizers held a FernCare day as part of their 13 day non-stop concert.  The $925.24 will be used directly towards patient care at the clinic.

“It’s our local charity of choice,” O’Neil said.  “I really like the idea of having a clinic that doesn’t discriminate against anybody.”

For more information about the record-breaking concert go to www.assemblyline.com.  For more information on FernCare go to www.ferncare.org.