Ready, Set, Smile, a Minneapolis community-based nonprofit, is continuing to provide free dental care to children who would have received the service at their schools prior to COVID-19 pandemic school closure. The care is also extended to family members who do not have dental insurance or are on medical assistance.
“Despite the uncertainties in the world right now, we are committed to fulfilling our mission to provide dental care to children from underserved communities so they can learn without pain from dental decay,” said Suzanne Fust, executive director.
With the generous support from Sm:)e Orthodontics in Minneapolis, Ready, Set, Smile is operating a modified version of their previously school-based clinics two days a week at Sm:)e Orthodontics located in the Lynn-Lake area.
Contingency plans are being put in place for the fall academic year pending the school district’s operational guidelines. One of Ready, Set, Smile’s plans is to return to its normal operating hours in the elementary and middle schools.
If distance learning is required, Ready, Set, Smile will reach out to community centers, including places of congregations such as churches, mosques and synagogues, to continue its dental care service there.
Ready, Set, Smile’s work is funded largely through donations from community members who believe in closing disparity gaps by removing barriers so all children in vulnerable communities can receive dental care.
Information courtesy of Ready, Set, Smile. To learn more or donate, contact Suzanne Fust at 612-721-6118 or sfust@readysetsmile.org.
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