News that the Moore Free Care Clinic is moving into larger quarters stands as a tribute to the cooperative spirit of our extraordinary community.

The clinic now operates from donated offices in the Public Health Center in Carthage, where it quickly outgrew the available space. The move to Southern Pines means a less central location, but it also brings the clinic closer to the county's population center. As a welcome side effect, it also makes good use of space in a previously vacant industrial facility.

Transfer of the clinic to the old Pride-Trimble plant is being carried out through an impressive collaboration. Professional services are offered free of charge by attorney Doug Gill, architect Lynn Anderson and contractor Franklin Bundy. John O'Malley, owner of the building, is renting 4,000 square feet to the clinic for $1 a year.

Even the town of Southern Pines, which has had more than its share of zoning issues, did its share by changing the zoning ordinance to allow medical offices within an area normally set aside for industry.

"This is such an extraordinarily generous community," said Dr. David Bruton, founder of the clinic. "You just say what you need and they give it to you. It's a marvelous place to do mission work."

Bruton, a retired pediatrician and former state secretary of human resources, has given generously of his own time and talent in developing the clinic and guiding its operations.

The need for medical services among low-income residents continues to grow because so few working people have insurance. They have nowhere else to go. The new facilities will provide more efficient working quarters for the staff and more comfortable and confidential quarters for patients.

In four years, the clinic has grown from a part-time service with one paid employee to a full-time operation with five employees plus a host of volunteers. Several parties have already donated their professional services. Now it's time for the community to back them up. Bruton says the larger space will require funding for additional furnishings and equipment. With this impressive beginning, a fundraising initiative should be a snap.