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Owens Community College dental hygiene students are reaching out to area residents with limited or no access to dental care by partnering with the Food For Thought organization in hosting a dental supply drive through March 25.
Owens dental hygiene students will be accepting a variety of basic dental hygienic items, including full- and travel-size toothpaste, toothbrushes and dental floss. The students are also collecting new or gently used gloves/mittens, scarves, hats and gallon-size zippered plastic bags.
Items collected will be delivered to Food For Thought for donation to individuals in need as part of the organization’s outreach efforts held Saturday mornings from 10 to 11 a.m. outside the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library in downtown Toledo.
In addition, dental hygiene students in the program’s “Preventive Practice” classes will be distributing basic dental hygiene supplies and providing oral health education information to individuals with limited or no access to dental care March 19 and 26 during Food For Thought’s Saturday morning “Downtown Picnic” program.
Donations can be dropped off in the college’s Department of Dental Hygiene room 224 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Owens’ Department of Dental Hygiene is located in Health Technologies Hall.
Food For Thought was founded in May 2007 with the overall goal of assisting those in need by providing lunches, consisting of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, fruit, a juice box and a cookie on Saturday mornings in downtown Toledo. The lunch distribution has grown into more than a meal, as several churches and other organizations have since joined Food For Thought and made various contributions in addition to the sack lunches, such as soup, coffee, hygiene products and clothing. The organization also features a stationary food pantry and mobile food pantry. Food For Thought, which is located in Oregon, serves over 1,300 families per month through the two pantries in addition to over 350 people each Saturday as part of the “Downtown Picnic” program.
Owens’ Dental Hygiene Program provides more than 40 students with a fully accredited, scientifically current and competency-based curriculum annually. The program also offers dental services to area residents through its Dental Hygiene Clinic. The 20-chair clinic is staffed by dental hygiene students and supervised by licensed dental professionals at Owens, and appointments are available during the fall and spring semesters for a $25 fee.
For more information about the Owens dental hygiene supply drive or to make a donation, call 1-800-GO-OWENS, ext. 7290.
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