DELTA DENTAL OF ARKANSAS FOUNDATION AWARDS $340K IN GRANTS

First-time community education grants will support teaching the basics of good oral hygiene

LITTLE ROCK, AR—“Brush, floss and say ‘Aaahhh’ at the dentist.” Arkansas organizations that created projects to teach these three basic tenets of oral health care could apply for Community Education Grants of up to $30,000 this spring from the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation to fund their initiatives.

Now the Foundation has announced the winners. It is awarding $340,000 to 21 organizations that will implement or expand community-focused oral health education programs. More than 25,500 Arkansans are expected to benefit, primarily 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 Foundation. “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. 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.”  

The 2021 Community Education Grantees 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
• P.A.R.K. 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 by 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 Foundation’s annual Community Grants that typically fund dental treatments and other clinical services. Arkansas non-profit organizations, educational facilities, churches and governmental agencies were eligible to apply for grant amounts ranging from $2,500 to $30,000.

About the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation

The Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation is committed to fulfilling Delta Dental of Arkansas’s mission to improve the oral health of all Arkansans. Since 2015, the Foundation has contributed an average of $1 million per year to local communities to support oral health education, prevention and treatment programs. More information is available at https://www.deltadentalar.com/giving-back/delta-dental-of-arkansas-foundation/about.

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