Angels Help to Create Holiday Smiles
Susanne Norgard, Executive Director, writes in the Ukiah Daily Journal about people and organizations improving lives in our community.
One of my early childhood holiday memories is singing with my sister in a holiday pageant. Because neither of us could sing very well and we were both missing a few of our baby teeth, the director decided we should sing, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.” It may not have been the highlight of the show, but we did our best to make it an energetic, if lispy, rendition of the song. There is nothing cute, however, about the starker reality faced by many people in our community who might be asking Santa for the same thing – healthy teeth. Over the past few months the Community Foundation’s Angel Fund has received several requests for assistance with dental emergencies. Many of the requests come on behalf of families who earn barely enough to cover their rent, food and utilities. When a tooth becomes painful and requires a root canal or surgery, the family learns that these procedures are often not covered by insurance or public programs. Children and adults in our midst are left to suffer in pain.
Susanne Norgard, Executive Director, writes in the Ukiah Daily Journal about people and organizations improving lives in our community.
One of my early childhood holiday memories is singing with my sister in a holiday pageant. Because neither of us could sing very well and we were both missing a few of our baby teeth, the director decided we should sing, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.” It may not have been the highlight of the show, but we did our best to make it an energetic, if lispy, rendition of the song.
There is nothing cute, however, about the starker reality faced by many people in our community who might be asking Santa for the same thing – healthy teeth. Over the past few months the Community Foundation’s Angel Fund has received several requests for assistance with dental emergencies. Many of the requests come on behalf of families who earn barely enough to cover their rent, food and utilities. When a tooth becomes painful and requires a root canal or surgery, the family learns that these procedures are often not covered by insurance or public programs. Children and adults in our midst are left to suffer in pain.
The primary purpose of the Angel Fund is to provide assistance to residents of
In addition to assisting adults, this year the Community Foundation’s Angel Fund has made a grant to the Pediatric Dental Initiative (PDI) to meet the oral health needs of low income children in
More and more families in
At this time of year, we are made aware of our blessings and of how we can help meet the needs of others. But helping others is a year-round activity for the Community Foundation’s Angel Fund. If you want to find out more, or if you want to make an on-line donation, visit www.communityfound.org
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