Students
Spread Holiday Joy
Students at the
LSUHSC School of Dentistry (LSUSD)
engage in oral health-related
community outreach activities
throughout the year. During every
holiday season, their priority is
to collect toys and food to bring
holiday joy to those who are less
fortunate. This year two
initiatives were undertaken by the
first- and second-year dental
classes.
Class of
2015
Second-year dental student
Benjamin White is coordinating a
fundraiser to benefit children
through Operation Christmas Child.
During the week before
Thanksgiving, shoe boxes filled
with gifts were collected for
distribution to needy children all
around the world. Since the
program's inception in 1993,
Samaritan's Purse, the parent
organization, will have delivered
nearly 100 million shoe box gifts.
Small toys, school supplies,
hygiene items, socks, and hard
candy are among the recommended
gift items. The international
relief organization suggests an
additional donation of $7.00 to
cover shipping costs. The dental
school also provided toothbrushes
and toothpaste to go into each
box. "We wanted a project that
would allow each of our class
members to bring the joy of
Christmas to needy children," said
Ben. "Operation Christmas Child
was a perfect fit."
This is the second
year that the Class of 2015 has
collected shoe boxes for Operation
Christmas Child. Last year they
sent 58 boxes plus an additional
$400 donation. The class also
participates in Give Kids A Smile
Day. This past February, all 65
students in the class presented
oral health information,
toothbrushes, and toothpaste to
students at the Joseph A. Craig
Elementary School, located in
Treme. For a third project, they
sent a $120 gift, matched by
Hasbro, to Operation Smile, which
provides free surgery around the
world to children with cleft lip,
cleft palate, or other facial
deformities.
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Dental
students Jenny Herman
and Benjamin White with
donated items
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Class of
2016
Jenny Herman, first-year dental
student, launched a food drive for
Second Harvest Food Bank. Whitney
Walker, class president, and other
D1 students, are also assisting
with the effort. Boxes for the
collection of non-perishable food
items are available throughout the
school until December 19. Located
in Jefferson Parish, Second
Harvest Food Bank was founded in
1982. Today the organization
distributes more than 22 million
meals through a network of 240
non-profit member agencies and
provides emergency food assistance
to more than 263,000 people,
including nearly 82,000 children
and 40,000 seniors.
"If between now and
Christmas, everyone buys a few
cans during every trip to the
grocery store, we can help an
incredible number of people," said
Jenny. In fact, after just one
week, she delivered 134 pounds of
food to Second Harvest. Jenny said
that she wanted a project in which
the entire school could
participate and that would have a
significant impact on families.
The Class of 2016 is also planning
a day of service after the
holidays with Habitat for Humanity
and considering future community
projects.
Through the efforts
of our students, everyone at LSUSD
has the opportunity to brighten
the holidays for a less-privileged
child, individual, or family.
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