CREDIT: ERIKA FAUST
Dental Hygiene student Meaghan Bennett (right) raised money with a pizza party to purchase dental hygiene kits. Dennis Whiteye, men’s program coordinator for At Lohsa, said the service’s clients would be very appreciative of the gift.

The spirit of giving is in the air, and one third-year Dental Hygiene student made an invaluable donation toward oral health care to one of our community's sectors in need.

In early October, Meaghan Bennett held a pizza party to raise funds for dental care packages. “We got a lot of support from the first- and third-year Dental students, and faculty came out to socialize.”

She raised more than $150 and purchased 110 dental care packages that contained a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss. The packages were given to At Lohsa Native Family Healing Services Inc., a local organization that offers men's and women's groups, affordable housing, substance support, language classes and other vital services to aboriginal people.

“This is a really high-risk population for poor oral health,” Bennett said. “As a primary oral health care provider, I feel it's our responsibility to go into the community and help reduce these barriers to access of care — specifically oral care — within these populations.”

Along with the dental care packages, she gave At Lohsa stacks of pamphlets with information on dental hygiene.

“I feel like Santa Claus,” Bennett grinned on the day she donated the packages in late November.

A friend of hers works at At Lohsa, which is why she chose to donate to that organization. “It was at the forefront of my initiative to go into that community. I know, in the past, there hasn't been any focus on any aboriginal populations ... It was definitely an area that I thought needed some more attention.”

This isn't the first year Bennett has raised funds for oral health. “Last year, I also organized a fundraiser for Sharing Smiles, which is an event happening annually in London that deals specifically with individuals with disabilities,” Bennett said. She sold “Sharing Smiles” t-shirts to Dental Hygiene students and staff in the Fanshawe and Western University programs to raise money for dental care packages.

“This is a continual thing,” she said. It's definitely something I feel very passionate about — being able to have personal interaction with populations who are very high-risk for poor oral health, as well as decreasing stigmas associated with a lot of conditions that people may not be familiar with... It's definitely important as a health care provider to be able to understand these barriers and do what you can in the communities to help them out.”

“It's appreciated. We're grateful for [Meaghan's] generosity and efforts,” said Dennis Whiteye, men's co-ordinator for At Lohsa He added that the donation will mean a lot to At Lohsa's clients and will help a lot of families.

For more information on At Lohsa's programs and services, go to atlohsa.com or call 519-438- 0068.