Information: greatexpressions.com or shelteringarmsforkids.com
Celebrating Children’s Dental Hygiene Month, Great Expression Dental Centers sought opportunities to educate children and their families on the importance of dental hygiene while also looking for opportunities to give back to the communities they serve.
The company donated 100 backpacks full of school and dental supplies for the children to Sheltering Arms: Early Education and Family Centers on March 3.
“We wanted to give back by donating dental care and other items and/or providing free dental days to those with no insurance,” said Ryan Torresan, vice president of marketing and public relations of Great Expressions. “We approached Sheltering Arms with the idea to support dental hygiene and education and they were excited for this partnership. It’s a great way to raise awareness and at same time help out families and students with schools supplies and oral care products.”
Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers is an early childhood education system that serves 2,400 children and their families daily in 15 centers across five metro Atlanta counties - Fulton, Cobb, Douglas, DeKalb and Gwinnett.
“This donation is important because it emphasizes the importance and critical link between oral care, general health and academic performance,” said Cristel Williams, vice president of development and communications for Sheltering Arms. “The backpacks are a fun way for our children to begin understanding how to care for themselves in a holistic way.”
Like Great Expressions, the community can give back to Sheltering Arms in a variety of ways. “Volunteers can impact our work in a variety of ways that interest them such as supporting our administrative work, reading to children, helping in the classroom, beautification projects and more,” said Williams.
In addition to the backpacks donation, the company gives back to the community by teaming up with local preschools and daycare centers to collect dental hygiene items for families living in domestic violence shelters, making 100,000 meals annually with Feeding Children Everywhere to helping schools and education centers teach kids about the importance of oral health.
In other news: Delta Community Philanthropic Fund awarded a total of $14,500 to two Fayette County-based organizations that serve young people throughout metro Atlanta. Bloom Our Youth received $7,000 to support The Bloom Closet, which provides free clothing and other necessities to foster children in Georgia. The Joseph Sam's School was awarded $7,500 to support its Vocational/Life Skills Program, which provides education and life management training to teens and young adults with disabilities.
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