The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation announced $16 million in funding to nonprofit organizations through an Access to Care Grants Program intended to increase and safeguard access to quality, affordable oral health care. The program is offered across the 15 states and Washington, D.C. where Delta Dental of California operates. Since 2011, the Community Care Foundation has granted more than $130 million.
The Community Care Foundation funds local community partners to increase access to care, address health disparities, drive health equity and promote innovation in the oral health field. The grants enable its nonprofit partners, which include Federally Qualified Health Centers, to provide vital and beneficial services to those most in need in the communities they serve.
Through these grants, the Community Care Foundation has significantly impacted the lives of many community members, including David Sunday. Sunday, a United States Air Force veteran who is now the outreach coordinator and veteran liaison at The Council on Recovery and vice president of the Party Sober Partnership, received oral health care through a partner, UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry.
“When I first came to UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry, I was five years sober from my 30-year fight with PTSD and had no idea how I was going to begin addressing my significant dental needs,” said Sunday. “The state of my teeth was impacting my recovery – physically, mentally and spiritually. When I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t see anything good about myself. The care I received from UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry has been one of the greatest blessings in my life and has helped me move forward. Dentistry is an untapped resource that everyday people do not always have access to, so being able to see other veterans receive the gift of their health and smile again is an honor.”
“This year’s Access to Care Grants represent the program’s largest annual funding and are focused on three critical areas of need: the oral health crisis among older adults, health equity and rural oral health access,” said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California. “The important relationships with our partners enable us to achieve our broader mutual goals to help make the communities we serve strong, healthier and more resilient.”
About Delta Dental Community Care Foundation
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies, including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and Delta Dental of New York, Inc. Since 2011, the Community Care Foundation has awarded more than $130 million in funding and support to increase access to quality dental care, oral health education and to advance scientific research across the company’s 15-state service area and Washington, D.C.
For more information about the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, please visit https://www1.deltadentalins.com/foundation.html.
About Delta Dental of California
Since 1955, Delta Dental of California has offered comprehensive, high-quality oral health care coverage to millions of enrollees and built the strongest network of dental providers in the country.
The Delta Dental of California enterprise includes its affiliates Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., as well as the national DeltaCare USA network, and provides dental benefits to more than 44 million people across 15 states and the District of Columbia*. All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association based in Oak Brook, Illinois, the not-for-profit national association that, through a national network of Delta Dental companies, collectively covers millions of people nationwide.
For more information about Delta Dental of California, please visit www.deltadentalins.com.
