ADHA and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation Awarded 12 Community Service Grants to Dental Hygienists

ADHA and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation Awarded 12 Community Service Grants to Dental Hygienists

Chicago —The American Dental Hygienists’ Association Institute for Oral Health partnered with the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation to award 12 grants to dental hygienists and dental hygiene organizations for community oral health outreach. Each recipient received $5,000 to start or continue an existing community oral health project.

“We understand the importance of access to preventive oral health services in maintaining overall health. We are thrilled to have partnered with the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation to offer dental hygienists the opportunity to do oral health outreach in their communities and to improve overall health in the U.S.,” said Lynn Ramer, LDH, Chair of IOH.

The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation Community Service Grant Program was established in conjunction with the ADHA’s 2010 National Dental Hygiene Month, in an effort to encourage dental hygienists to design and implement oral health programs in their community, and increase public awareness about the importance of preventive health services and developing a daily oral health routine to maintain good oral hygiene.

“The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation is delighted to partner with the ADHA IOH on this Community Service Grant Program, and excited to announce the recipients.  Mostly, we look forward to seeing the various oral health outreach programs come alive across the country,” said Mary Houpt, Executive Director of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation.

Participating contestants had to be licensed dental hygienists and active members of ADHA, and were required to submit a proposal of a community service project that demonstrates its capacity to improve the public’s oral health and provide oral health education to underserved populations throughout the United States. The winning community service projects were selected based on their significance in the communities they will serve, creative approach, sustainability, feasibility, and their ongoing quantitative and qualitative evaluation system.

The recipients of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation Community Service Grant is as follows:

• ·         Vermont Dental Hygienists’ Association – Free Dental Care Day
• ·         Baker Victory Dental Center – Healthy Oral Habits
• ·         Old Dominion University Research Foundation – Lake Taylor Oral Health Initiative
• ·         Emerald Coast Dental Hygienists’ Association – Okaloosa Sealant Program
• ·         Smiles on Wheels – Access to Dental Hygiene Care for Underserved Children
• ·         Arkansas State DHA, Central District – Future Smiles Dental Sealant Project
• ·         North Dakota Veteran’s Home – North Dakota Veterans Smile
• ·         Kathryn Trilli – Oral Health Parent Education for Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN)
• ·         Carl Wunsche Sr. High School Dental Program – Project IMPACT: Increasing Measures and Preventive Approaches for Children’s Teeth
• ·         Montana Dental Hygienists’ Association – Golden Oldies (includes PACE program)
• ·         California Dental Hygienists’ Association – Adopt a SNF Home
• ·         Hawaii Dental Hygienists’ Association – Better Health Through Oral Health

About the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation

The Wrigley Company has a rich history of giving back to the communities where we live and work. Established in 1987 to formalize the giving of grants and donations, the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation has distributed more than $47 million to non-profit organizations around the world. The mission of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation is to improve the health of people and our planet through sustainable initiatives focused in oral health and environmental stewardship as well as local needs that ensure a healthy community.  Wrigley provides support not only with financial resources, but with the care and compassion of their 16,000 associates who have a passion for service and are provided opportunities throughout the year to exhibit their generous spirit.  

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 150,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA at http://www.adha.org.