DELTA DENTAL OF MISSOURI AWARDS OVER $662,000 IN ORAL HEALTH GRANTS TO AID INDIVIDUALS IN NEED

ST. LOUIS, MO (September 14, 2020) … To help meet dental health needs of children and adults, Delta Dental of Missouri has awarded over $662,000 to support oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes in Missouri and in South Carolina, where it also does business. The oral health grant funding is part of the company’s annual Mission Giving Program and was given to organizations in both states, which teach people about the importance of dental health and provide free care to those who cannot afford it.

“Our mission is to help people of all ages access vital dental care and educational services, so they can live better lives through improved dental health,” said Rob Goren, president and chief executive officer at Delta Dental of Missouri. “As a non-profit, we are proud to partner with these organizations as they work to meet the dental care needs of thousands of kids and adults.” 

Delta Dental of Missouri awarded $390,162 in oral health grant funding to the following Missouri organizations:

  • Give Kids A Smile (St. Louis, Mo.) – received $75,000 to help provide restorative and preventive dental care, as well as oral health education, for underserved children in the Greater St. Louis area. 
  • HNC Living Foundation (Kansas City, Mo.) – received $50,000 to provide dental services to low-income and under-insured rural area residents with head and neck cancer. 
  • Rural Parish Clinic of the Archdiocese (St. Louis, Mo.) – received $50,000 to purchase equipment for a new mobile dental clinic to provide free dental care to uninsured individuals with limited financial means living in rural communities.
  • Cass Community Health Foundation (Kansas City, Mo.) – received $50,000 for supplies and the purchase of a mobile van, which will provide care to children from families with low incomes in Cass County and Grandview Elementary Schools. 
  • KC Care Health Center (Kansas City, Mo.) – received $50,000 to purchase equipment for the Mobile Pediatric Dental Unit, which provides care to underserved and uninsured children in Kansas City Public Schools. 
  • Children’s Smile Center (Springfield, Mo.) – received $25,000 to help provide emergency dental services for children from families with low incomes in Christian, Stone, Lawrence, Barry, Dade and Taney Counties during the pandemic.
  • Youth in Need (St. Louis, Mo.) – received $25,000 for the Youth in Need Smiles Program, providing at-risk children and their families in St. Louis City, St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren and Montgomery Counties with access to preventive and restorative dental care. 
  • Big Springs Medical Association – Missouri Highlands Healthcare (Ellington, Mo.) – received $22,336 to purchase equipment for its dental clinics and mobile dental program, which provides preventive and restorative care for uninsured and underinsured adults and children, and those from families with low incomes. 
  • Friends of the Free Clinic: Social Welfare Board of Buchanan County (St. Joseph, Mo.) – received $17,826 to replace equipment and provide supplies in its free dental clinic, which serves uninsured Buchanan County residents living in poverty. 
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks (Springfield, Mo.) – received $15,000 to further the work of its mobile dental unit, serving at-risk children without insurance or those on Medicaid in Springfield Public Schools. 
  • LevelUp Kids (Kansas City, Mo.) – received $10,000 to help provide uncompensated care to children from families with low incomes in Clay and Platte Counties.

Delta Dental of Missouri also awarded $272,400 in grants to organizations in South Carolina.

The company awards general operating grants, program/project grants, capacity-building grants and equipment grants for programs that promote the oral health of individuals in Missouri and South Carolina. 

Applications for Delta Dental of Missouri’s second grant cycle of its 2020 Oral Health Grant Program are now being accepted. To be eligible for an oral health grant from Delta Dental of Missouri, applicants in Missouri and South Carolina must first complete a letter of inquiry through its online application system at https://www.deltadentalmo.com/AboutUs/oral-health-grant-program, or at https://www.deltadentalsc.com/AboutUs/oral-health-grant-program, which include program guidelines and application instructions. Online letters of inquiry are due on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, and online applications are due on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. Applicants in both states must be considered tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or be a public or governmental entity, such as a public school or health department, and serve the people of Missouri or South Carolina. 

In April 2020, Delta Dental of Missouri also donated $500,000 to organizations providing COVID-19 relief efforts in Missouri and South Carolina.

Delta Dental of Missouri is the state’s leading dental benefits provider and a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. It provides 1.9 million members with access to affordable, high-quality dental care through group plans tailored to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes, from large corporations to small businesses with two or more employees. Delta Dental also offers dental benefit plans directly to individuals and families. The company proudly supports oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes that help educate people about the importance of dental health and provide free dental care to those in need. Delta Dental of Missouri also created the Missouri Dental Care Resource Guide to help individuals access information about low-cost and free dental care options in their area—available online at www.DeltaDentalMO.com/ResourceGuide1. To learn more about the company, visit www.DeltaDentalMO.com.