Dermatology Clinic's 'No-Show' Fees Going To Help Newly-Settled Refugees
ROSEVILLE, Minn. (WCCO) -- "No show" fees can be a little taboo. You miss an appointment, you pay a fee.
"I didn't want to just take the money," said Tareen Dermatology medical director Dr. Mohiba Tareen. "I wanted to do something good with it."
At Tareen Dermatology, that has locations in Roseville, Maplewood, and Faribault, the fee has always been a donation.
Each year during Ramadan, Dr. Mohiba Tareen, Dr. Basir Tareen and the staff choose a different cause. This year, they decided to help newly-settled Afghan families find housing.
"In order to rent many of these apartments, and landlords require tenant history, which of course you don't have if you just came to this country," said Dr. Basir Tareen.
So they bought a house using the $50,000 in no-show fees, along with money from cosmetic events to make the down payment. Now, a family of six that fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover last year has a roof over their head in Minneapolis.
"They were helping the U.S. military when they were in Afghanistan and they had to get here, so we wanted to, you know, help show them that America can be a good place for them," she said.
Dr. Tareen is an Indian immigrant. She says their customers has come to embrace the no-longer taboo no-show fees.
"I feel every day I use to give back to my community, and in general, America," she said.
Tareen Dermatology is also using the funds to pay rent for another Afghan family in a Minneapolis apartment while they get on their feet.
