ADAF Charitable Assistance Program spreads help widely
|
Posted Feb. 2, 2009 |
By Jennifer Garvin Donors to the ADA Foundation play a big part in changing lives across the country, from helping dentists bounce back from disasters to providing dental scholarships to supporting children's health and other access-related programs.
| |
 |
| |
After the storm: Hurricane Gustav hit Dr. Eliot Guerin's dental office in Gretna, La., in August 2008. The ADAF Charitable Assistance Fund helped him meet his payroll as he worked to get his practice running again.
|
For Louisiana dentist Dr. Eliot Guerin, who lost an operatory during Hurricane Gustav in August 2008, the ADAF Charitable Assistance Program enabled him to cover a payroll without missing a beat.
"If you need something right away, you're able to do it," said Dr. Guerin, whose home was severely damaged during Katrina in 2005. "Insurance can take months. That money helps fill an immediate cash gap. It may have been the quickest help that I got. It's set up to help in a timely manner."
The ADA Foundation has big goals for 2009, as it strives to provide additional dental scholarships and continue its support in the face of disaster. Each year, the ADAF works to secure contributions and provide grants for such recognized programs as Give Kids A Smile and the Dr. Samuel Harris Fund For Children's Dental Health as well as the ADAF Disaster Assistance Program.
Dr. Arthur A. Dugoni, ADAF president, explained, "This year, more than any year I can remember, the ADA Foundation is expecting a major increase in requests for assistance. The number of requests for student scholarships has grown, with increasing costs of dental education. We want to provide more support for children's health—in 2008 we received more than 300 requests and were able to fund less than 70 organizations. This year we'd like to do more. And, of course, given the economy, we know that we will likely receive additional requests from the Relief Fund."
The first Friday of February is Give Kids A Smile, the annual centerpiece to National Children's Dental Health Month—a month-long program that provides oral health education to all children despite their economic status, and stresses how developing good habits and scheduling regular dental visits can help children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.
From a disaster-assistance standpoint, the ADAF Charitable Assistance Program approved grants of up to $2,500 for dental professionals in the wake of natural disasters such as Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, as well as grants for organizations that provided dental services to affected areas.
Dr. Dugoni added, "The ADA Foundation is so grateful to our generous Annual Fund donors. This year, we plan to meet with more of our donors in person to let them know first-hand about the challenges we see. I know that, working together, we are going to make a difference and achieve our mission of connecting people and changing lives."
To learn more about the ADA Foundation and its programs, visit www.ada.org/ada/adaf/index.asp.
|
