They come with sore knees, bad hearts, troubled minds - and no insurance.
This year, patients have come to the Benevolent Specialists Project Free Clinic in Middleton more than ever before.
Managers say the recession has increased demand at Wisconsin's only free clinic offering only specialty care such as orthopedics, cardiology and psychiatry.
Supply has gone up, too, with doctors volunteering in four more specialties, for a total of 20 types of care.
The strain on the $100,000 annual budget is also on the rise. The Dean Foundation provides significant support, but the clinic - in the basement of the foundation's building on Allen Boulevard - also relies on donations.
“We can always use more help,” said Kathy Williams, clinic manager.
South-central Wisconsin has at least a dozen free clinics, where low-income patients without insurance can get free medical care. Most focus on primary care, though some provide some specialty care.
The BSP clinic is the only free clinic in the state providing only specialty care and one of fewer than 10 such clinics nationwide, leaders of the state and national free clinic associations said.