In 1939 Sister Marie Therese, born in Trinidad, joined the Sisters of the Company of Mary founded by St. Jeanne de Lestonnac, whose mission was to teach and educate the poor. After working with the poor in different parts of the world for an extended period of time, Sister Marie Therese was transferred to St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School in Tustin, CA. It was there that she first began to recognize the overwhelming need for medical care for the poor in Orange County. On January 6, 1979, instead of retiring she opened the Lestonnac Free Clinic in Orange, California, consisting of only two rooms.

By 1989, Sister had purchased the entire clinic building, which contained 8 examination rooms, 2 dental rooms, a front office, nurses' station, dispensary, conference room, diabetic education center, counseling office and a food bank for the needy. Sister Marie Therese remained dedicated to serving those most in need of free health care in Orange County until her death in 1999. Rosalie Corless continued this tradition of service as the clinic director until her retirement in December 2006. Today, Sister Marie Therese's legacy continues to be carried out by Executive Director, Ed Gerber.

"In 30 Years..."

• Lestonnac Free Clinic was started by a Nun who had determination and a vision to help the poorest of the poor.
• The clinic has stayed true to their mission of providing Free medical and dental care and is only one of a few clinics in Orange County that does not charge for services.
• Collaborations were made with organizations including Target Store Pharmacy to provide low-cost medications.
• The clinic has seen its number of volunteer doctors and dentists increase from just a handful in 1979 to over 25 in 2009.
• Over 100 volunteer doctors and medical staff have generously donated their time to help those most in need.
• Yoga, diabetes, and nutrition education classes are provided on a weekly basis.
• A Food Bank was started that is now providing food to several hundred people each month.
• Over 20,000 patients have been treated in over 180,000 visits.
• Patient lives have been enriched, improved, and empowered.