Rays of sunlight ended up shining on what started out as a misty, dreary beginning to the grand opening ceremony of the Gloucester-Mathews Care Clinic on Friday afternoon.

About 100 residents, clinic volunteers and staff sought shelter under umbrellas and braved the soggy conditions at the start of the official opening of the clinic in the Gloucester Business Park. Toward the end of the hourlong ceremony, the sun came out, pouring light on the new 9,000-square-foot facility that has been years in the making.

GMCC president Frank West started the ceremony, praising the dedicated volunteers and staff members that have made the organization what it is today.

West said the GMCC came out of a cramped, 1,200-square-foot space at Hayes. “It’s amazing to think what this organization has been able to do on shoestrings and in inadequate spaces,” he said.

The clinic’s clientele has also grown tremendously, he added, saying that the clinic’s staff saw about 3,000 ...