Gift From the Heart
For offering dental care for those in need
6.8 million Canadians avoided seeing a dentist in 2018 because of the cost. Gift from the Heart (GFTH), an Ontario-based charity, is working to change that by offering free dental services to those in need. Their most recent endeavour had the group converting a church basement in Pincourt, Qubec, into an oral hygiene clinic, offering free cleanings, assessments and fillings to migrant workers and Ukrainian refugees.The biggest thing lacking is access to care, founder and president (and registered dental hygienist) Bev Woods said in an interview with CTV. Thats why GFTH has spent the past two years mobilizing two ambulances that have been retrofitted with dental equipment to function as preventative outreach vehicles, or clinics on wheels. Woods and GFTH Vice President Laura Iorio have personally driven the clinics across Ontario and Quebec to bring oral health care to more Canadians. There is no health without oral health, says Woods.Since 2008, theyve also been partnering with independent dental hygiene offices across the country, who dedicate full days to providing no-cost services to clients who otherwise wouldnt be able to access the care. So far, the charity has provided $1.7 million dollars worth of services via a team of 2,500 dental hygienists. Now, GFTH is going biggerwith an enclosed trailer thats currently being renovated and will provide more space for the organization to carry out procedures like emergency extractions and X-rays. Itll be wheelchair accessible and is scheduled to be complete by the end of this year.Arisa Valyear
