SMITHFIELD - Tim Richardson's eyes are red and painful, but he has foregone a checkup since he was laid off. Jeremiah Ray feels paralyzed without his meds, but he hasn't been able to afford them for years. Ron W. is supposed to take insulin every day but often goes without.

Last week, all three attended a free clinic arranged by Project Access of Johnston County, which provides some free treatment and medications for the needy uninsured.

"They're getting regular care for things that are easily managed with regular care," said Christopher Ingram, a Project Access volunteer. "An ounce of prevention really is worth more than a pound of cure."

Doctors and medical workers usually see Project Access patients at their offices; last week, though, the group held its first free clinic at the Johnston County Health Department. The clinic, which organizers hope to repeat soon, chipped away at the group's 150-person waitlist.

Richardson, 39, lost his health insurance along with his warehouse job in 2007. His wife's salary has kept the family of five going as Richardson has bounced between temp jobs, and her health insurance covers the kids. On a long list of expenses, Richardson put his health last.

Even when his eyes swelled and reddened for months, Richardson refused treatment. Last month, the $150 the family paid last month to treat the kids for strep throat and the flu came first.

"We're caught in between in the system," Richardson said, awaiting treatment at the clinic.

Ron W., who sat nearby, was hoping for a steady supply of insulin to treat his diabetes. A former test engineer at NASA, he is now a computer consultant whose business has dropped off precipitously, he said.

Though a day without insulin doesn't affect him much, the effects can add up fast.

"It's not good, but it's not deadly right away," said Ron, who declined to give his last name. Without the drug, a diabetic can eventually face organ failure and death. The bottoms of Ron's feet sometimes go numb, and he thinks going without insulin might be hurting his eyesight.

His insulin costs $90 a month. When he can't afford it, he turns to relatives or friends for help, and his doctor sometimes gives him free samples. The 52-year-old hoped Project Access would help him get his medicine.

Ray, a volunteer at the clinic, considers himself a success story for the program. A few years ago, he was constantly debilitated by severe attention-deficit disorder and depression. His prescriptions for Concerta and other medications, totaling $300 a month, were simply too expensive with his Food Lion salary, he said.

Without the pills, Ray could barely get anything done, and he was racked by anxiety. His condition is aggravated by the reduced size of his prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain, he said.

"I was in need of care," said Ray, now a 26-year-old Johnston Community College student and aspiring comic book artist. "I'm happier. I'm producing art -- that's what I do, what I am."

The goal

According to Project Access, 18 percent of Johnston County residents lack health insurance. That percentage is 42nd highest among the state's 100 counties, the group said.

Dr. Charles Williams treats Project Access patients at his office, and he saw patients at the clinic. His religious faith drives him to help, he said.

"I think Christ calls on us to be the hands and feet of the gospel," Williams said. And besides being morally right, Project Access makes financial sense, he said.

Many patients come to the program with diabetes, heart disease, asthma and high blood pressure, all of which can cause more-serious ailments.

"It's much more cost-effective if we can treat those conditions on the front end," Williams said.

Looking forward

So far, Project Access has taken on all it can. The program has taken in more than $3 million in donations and has a $300,000 grant to buy medicine, said Kathy Rogols, a registered nurse and the project's director.

Through Project Access, 350 people see 40 doctors, but 150 people remain on the waiting list. About 40 of those on the waiting list came to the clinic, Rogols said. The clinic was run by Drs. Charles Williams, Maria Zaldivar, Marilyn Pearson, Steven Landau and Donna Capps, along with a corps of volunteers and nurses.

"I think it's a huge step," Rogols said. "We're hoping to do it again."