Brightening Lives Through Brighter Smiles

Project Name: Brightening Lives Through Brighter Smiles;

Date: February – April 2020;

Team: Garrett College’s Honor Society – Phi Theta Kappa;

Project Leader: Zachary Friend;

Members: Zachary Friend, Anna James, Tierra Jones, Charity Moser, & Destiny Jackson;

Open to Public: Yes;

Project Overview:

Phi Theta Kappa, Garrett College’s Honor Society, will complete a community service project across Garrett County to promote healthy oral hygiene habits among individuals and families facing housing crisis and/or homelessness. Those facing housing issues have been identified as a population with the potential to have limited or no access to products necessary to perform adequate daily oral hygiene. Poor oral hygiene can lead to cavities, gum disease, and other serious adverse health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. The negative impacts of inadequate oral hygiene on overall health can become low on the priority list when faced with the adversity of a housing crisis or homelessness. To give back to the community in which we live, work, play, and/or attend college, Phi Theta Kappa would like to complete a project to promote healthy oral hygiene habits for those faced with housing challenges while incorporating hope through a uniquely designed community health/oral hygiene art piece created by a well-known West Virginia artist.

Members of the honor society will purchase oral hygiene products that will be packaged in kits and distributed to community agencies and/or programs in Garrett County that assist individuals and families effected by housing crisis and homelessness. Agencies and programs that are asked to participate in this project will be those that typically provide services to individuals facing housing challenges. Members of Phi Theta Kappa will contact identified agencies and offer access to oral hygiene kits for their service population that is affected by housing crisis or homelessness. The target population to receive oral hygiene kits will include those that are temporarily staying with a friend or family member, living on the street,  living in a car, sheltering in unsafe places and/or places not suitable for living, leaving a domestic violence situation, dislocated by a traumatic event such as a fire, etc. If the offer is accepted, oral hygiene kits will be delivered by Phi Theta Kappa members to the agencies/programs. After receiving the kits, the agencies will distribute them to individuals that are experiencing housing crisis or homelessness.

The oral hygiene kits will include products such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, etc. for both adults and children. The kits will also contain brief literature on the health benefits of adequate oral hygiene and a uniquely designed community health/oral hygiene art piece created by the well-known artist, Ian Bode, who was named the 2018 Best West Virginia Artist. Mr. Bode is known for creating over a dozen public murals, including those that promote community connectedness, and he was named runner up of the 2019 Best West Virginia Artist.