Dear Friend,

Thank you for being part of the KinderSmile Foundation village! We hope that you and your family are in good health. Your continued support, especially in the last few months, has been truly appreciated!

Since our last Newsletter, we have continued to safely treat our patients in our Dental Homes, while complying with all recommended COVID-19 protocols. Our Dental Homes continue to increase access to oral health education and dental care for our State's most underserved populations. 

Please read on to learn about our charity's expanded efforts of eradicating dental disease across New Jersey. We could not do it without all of you. #ItTakesAVillage

The Latest from KinderSmile Foundation:

This fall we are proud to welcome new Board members:

Dr. Ayanna Bradshaw-Sydnor has been a part of the KinderSmile family since 2011, when she joined as a Give Back a Smile volunteer for KinderSmile Oral Health Program, bringing together her experiences in public health and dental care. Dr. Ayanna looks forward to contributing to the progress of KinderSmile Foundation's mission and vision to improve the lives of children and families.  

As Senior Vice President and General Counsel of IDEMIA North America, Zara Roberts Gerald oversees the company's legal and government affairs and security operations and standards in the United States and Canada. Zara is a strong supporter of mentoring, and has helped professionals at all experience levels navigate their careers. We are looking forward to incorporating her experience in our programs.

Nurse Marie Brown is the Health and nutrition manager at East Orange Child Development Corporation Head Start and Early Head Start programs. EOCDC has been a community partner of KSF’s for over a decade, and Nurse Brown has been a crucial and loving member of the team!

We welcomed new team members Daleska, Lissamer, and Sheyla to KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center Bloomfield, and Akosua, Courtney, Edna, Melissa, and Tammy to KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center Trenton. They are ready to serve the community with a smile!

KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center Trenton

Celebrated its Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening on November 9, 2020

KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center Trenton opened its doors to provide quality comprehensive dental care for adults and children alike, regardless of insurance status or lack thereof. With over 85,000 residents, where 63% of children are insured by Medicaid/NJ FamilyCare, The City of Trenton is designated as medically underserved by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services. 

In her Ribbon Cutting Ceremony address, First Lady of New Jersey Tammy Murphy emphasized the dire need for access to health care in New Jersey. She stated that any approach to solving the crisis must be multifaceted, and that we must correlate oral health care in advocating for total health. KinderSmile Foundation's programs are aligned with Ms. Murphy's awareness campaign of NurtureNJ, improving the lives of every child, mother, and family across New Jersey.

Our growing list of over 25 Trenton community partners include Mercer County Community College, HomeFront NJ, Children's Home Society of NJ, The Puerto Rican Community Center, Task Force One, Mercer Street Friends, Children's Futures, and The Trenton Health Team, just to name a few. Our partnership with Capital Health increases access to care and reduces visits to hospital emergency rooms for preventable dental emergencies.

We are grateful to The George H. and Estelle M. Sands Foundation, The Burke Foundation, The Princeton Area Community Foundation, The Smith Family Foundation, and First Bank Foundation for their support. We extend a special appreciation to Deborah Sands Gartenberg. Thank you! 

Smiling in the Community

KinderSmile Foundation was founded in the community and for the community, and after the COVID-19 hiatus, we are excited to return to our partners! 

KinderSmile Oral Health Program offsite visits have begun to shape the fall calendar. Thank you to Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation, The Horizon Foundation of New Jersey, and Partners for Health Foundation for supporting this initiative.

KSOHP Trenton Coordinator Tammy Demko, RDH has been promoting our programs at tabling events at Children's Home Society, MillHill Child and Family Development, and Trenton Public Library, in order to increase awareness and entice participation.

With the help of Eman Kayali, and support of The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, we are thrilled to expand our Perinatal Health and Wellness Program to the Arabic-speaking community.

We are grateful to The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey and the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities for supporting our Special Smiles program. To expand our reach and provide oral health education to our partners in these trying times, we created a successful educational slideshow to be presented to our partners via Zoom. Thank you Board Member and Special Smiles Coordinator Dorrie Gagnon, and GBAS hygienist Karen Shanahan.

KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center Newark, located at The Boys and Girls Club of Newark, has reopened its doors to Club members and the community. We thank Delta Dental of NJ Foundation, Dental Trade Alliance Foundation, and The MCJ Amelior Foundation for their continued support!

KinderSmile Foundation is in compliance with all recommended guidelines set forth by the ADA, CDC, and the State of New Jersey. The health and safety of our staff, volunteers, patients, and community is our priority. KinderSmile Foundation appreciates The Princeton Area Community Foundation, The Healthcare Foundation of NJ, and The Hyde and Watson Foundation for sponsoring our increasing costs of PPE and infection control supplies due to the pandemic. Thank you!

Our Programs and

Volunteer Opportunities

KinderSmile Community Service Learning Program perseveres. In addition to shadowing and assisting providers and staff, our volunteers greet our patients, screen for COVID-19 symptoms, and ensure that all newly implemented protocols are followed. Thank you, we appreciate all that you do!

Thank you to our amazing CSLP volunteers Karan, Jessica, Anisha, Sanjana, Andrew, Fatima, Imani, Mahjabeen, Eman, and Najla!

Dr. Lucia Arias volunteers her time and professional talent, and treats patients at KinderSmile Community Oral Health Centers of Bloomfield and Trenton as part of our Give Back a Smile Program. Thank you Dr. Lucia!

KSOHP - KinderSmile Oral Health Program
Bringing oral health education and preventive dental care to schools & community events
PHWP - Perinatal Health & Wellness Program
Promoting maternal oral health and dental care during pregnancy and early childhood
CSLP - Community Service Learning Program
Youth mentorship through volunteer work & internships
GBAS - Give Back A Smile
Volunteer opportunities for dental professionals

As we enter the season of gratitude summing a difficult year, we count our blessings. We are truly grateful to our donors, grantors, volunteers, and friends who are all part of the KinderSmile Foundation "village." 

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted economic and racial disparities in our society. Now, more than ever, thank you for helping us achieve our mission to provide access to oral health care and ensure that every child has access to a dentist! Together, we can work towards eradicating preventable dental disease. We couldn't do it without all of you!

Blessings,

Nicole McGrath-Barnes, DDS, FACD

Founder & CEO

KinderSmile Foundation

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