The Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation (DDAF) is awarding $340,000 to 21 organizations that will implement or expand community-focused oral health education programs that will benefit more than 25,500 low-income, uninsured, and underserved residents.
“Arkansas ranks near the bottom nationally for oral health. The solution starts with three basic, straightforward habits: brush and floss daily and see the dentist regularly,” said Chrissy Chatham, executive director of the DDAF.
“Our funding supports projects that teach these fundamentals to empower more Arkansans with knowledge of habits that can be integrated into their daily lives and improve their oral health,” Chatham continued.
“Because improved oral health typically improves the individual’s overall health, we hope that the beneficiaries of our grant support achieve greater well-being and a higher quality of life,” Chatham said.
The 2021 Community Education Grantees, who received grants ranging from $2,500 to $30,000 each, include:
- 100 Black Men of Greater Little Rock, Little Rock
- Arkansas Council on Economic Education, dba Economics Arkansas, Little Rock
- Boys & Girls Club of Central Arkansas, Little Rock
- Boys & Girls Club of McGehee, McGehee
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Arkansas River Valley, Russellville
- CareLink, North Little Rock
- Centers for Youth and Families, Little Rock
- City of Quitman, Quitman
- Conway Regional Health Foundation, Conway
- DePaul Community Health Centers, Dumas
- Hispanic Community Services Inc., Jonesboro
- Inspired Communities Foundation, Timbo
- PARK Foundation Inc., Little Rock
- REFORM Inc., Resiliency Empowerment Faith Overcomer, Pine Bluff
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas, Little Rock
- Safe Haven Ministries Inc., Clarksville
- Shared Beginnings, Fayetteville
- Special Olympics Arkansas, North Little Rock
- Transformations Little Rock Angels, Little Rock
- UA Little Rock Children International, Little Rock
- WelcomeHealth, Fayetteville
“Offered for the first time in 2021, Community Education Grants are designed to support a wide variety of oral health educational programs, in contrast to the DDAF’s annual Community Grants, which typically fund dental treatments and other clinical services.
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