Events & Impact Stories
Guest Speaker at Southern Hills Church Of Christ
The Southern Hills Church of Christ is located in South Dallas, which is an area where approximately 21.4% of the residents lack health insurance, a significant barrier to accessing consistent oral care. At a community outreach event hosted by the church on December 7th, 2024, which approximately one hundred people attended, I hosted an oral hygiene awareness session to educate those who attended the event on the importance of good oral hygiene and how it can affect one’s overall well-being. As a guest speaker, I shared important information and resources, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, denture cleansers, techniques for brushing and flossing, and hygiene kits with those who attended. The event raised oral hygiene awareness and promoted better habits, which impacted numerous families by giving them the knowledge and tools necessary to better their oral hygiene.
Fundraiser at India Bazaar promoting The Grace Center
The India Bazaar is a popular store in the community where many families, such as mine, go weekly. Seeing the popularity of the store, I discussed holding a fundraising event with the manager, which she agreed to. At the event itself, which was held on January 4th, 2025, I collected donations from shoppers to support the Smile Power Project’s mission of providing oral healthcare to underserved populations. My effort was inspired in part by the oral hygiene challenges I observed at the Southern Hills Church of Christ, and the lack of oral health information people had. By engaging directly with people, I was able to fundraise as well as spread the word about the project, as well as increase oral hygiene awareness within the community.
Grace Center Donation Initiative
Hearing the stories of the dedicated dentists volunteering at the Grace Center and the lives they have touched with their free dental and vision care was moving. It was an honor to contribute $1100 to the Grace Center through our fundraiser, and moments like this make the whole journey worthwhile! This wouldn’t have been possible without our community's compassion and generosity, which were willing to help the underprivileged and donate to the project!
Oral Hygiene Supply Drive
Thanks to the generosity of Coppell Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Enamel Dental, Sigma Dental Specialists, and 68 community members, our Oral Hygiene Supply Drive was a huge success! Through this drive, we collected approximately 500 disposable toothbrushes, 200 toothpaste tubes, 150 packs of dental floss, along with additional items, including mouthwash packets, tongue cleaners, and dental hygiene instruction cards. The collected supplies will be used to create oral hygiene kits through a volunteer workshop, which will be donated to the Grace Center to be handed out to each patient.
Oral Hygiene Kit Workshop
To bring the community further into the mission, I organized a workshop where five students volunteered alongside me to assemble the oral hygiene kits. Together, we created 150 complete kits, each with a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and a pamphlet on both oral hygiene and nutrition. These kits will be donated to The Grace Center to support 150 people after they get their treatment, helping them maintain their oral health with dignity. In addition, the extra supplies (toothbrushes and toothpaste) will also be donated to The Grace Center, helping an additional estimated 150 people!
Nutrition Tips for a Healthier Smile Pamphlet
This is the same pamphlet we folded and included in each of our hygiene kits, with 5 nutrition tips to help promote stronger teeth and healthier smiles!