POCA Tech

As a member of The People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA), we work with other clinics to help make affordable community acupuncture (CA) available across the country.

One of the challenges we face is the need for more acupuncturists who desire to work in a CA setting, either to start their own clinics or to work in existing clinics.

Currently, acupuncture schooling does not prepare acupuncturists to work in CA, and it is so expensive that many graduates have enormous student loans at the end of their training.

POCA’s solution is to start our own acupuncture school—POCA Tech– which will train acupuncturists to work in a CA setting while costing a fraction of traditional acupuncture school.

The program is in development, and we are fundraising to make it a reality. POCA Tech needs $125,000 in start-up costs, and currently has a little under a quarter of that.

We at Down to Earth Acupuncture have donated over $1,000 to POCA Tech. Now, we would love to get our patients and community involved in this effort!

Can you spare an extra $5 at your next appointment? We are hosting a buy-a-brick fundraiser at the office— for $5 you can put your initials on a cardboard “brick” that will grow and grow up our office wall. It will be a great visual to show the progress toward the realization of POCA Tech.

Here is a picture of the fundraiser at Working Class Acupuncture in Oregon (they are using Legos for the visual).

Have you ever wished that there was a clinic close to your relative in another part of the country? More CA-trained acupuncturists can help make that happen! Please consider donating to POCA Tech! If you can’t make it into the clinic, you can also donate online (just let us know, and we’ll write out a brick for you!).