100 Low-Income Area Kids Get Free Dental Care At Direct Relief International's "Healthy Smiles" Clinic

Direct Relief International
Wednesday, 7 November 2001

Santa Barbara kids and Direct Relief International will be joined by Congresswoman Lois Capps and other business and community leaders to kick off a week-long dental clinic at the Direct Relief International headquarters, located in Goleta. Four mobile dental clinics will be set up to treat the 100 children throughout the week, who have been identified by Santa Barbara County Schools. Dental disease is one of the foremost health problems affecting children in Santa Barbara.

The 2001 "Healthy Smiles" program will provide quality dental care, without charge, to 100 severely affected, low-income children from Santa Barbara County elementary schools during a six-day USC/UCLA mobile Dental Clinic. (On average, the services provided are valued at $1200-$1400 per child.)

"Art from Scrap" will supervise crafts projects for the kids and Rainbow the Clown will be on hand to entertain participating family members. Bakery goods, food, and beverages have been donated by local businesses, and a barbeque, sponsored by the Santa Barbara North Rotary Club, will feed volunteers and mobile clinic staff.

Healthy Smiles is a collaborative effort involving various groups including Santa Barbara/Ventura Dental Society, USC/UCLA Mobile Dental Clinics, Dental Access Resource Team (DART), Carrillo Family Dental Clinic, Cornelia Moore Dental Foundation, and South Santa Barbara County Schools.

Direct Relief International wishes to thank the sponsors of Healthy Smiles including: Venoco, Inc., Santa Barbara News Press, Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, Bartlein Management Co., United Way.

For more information, or to contact Direct Relief International, see their website at: www.directrelief.org