Ready, Set, Smile

11.20.24: We hit our $25,000 goal and got our match!

As the official Give to the Max Day is TOMORROW, we are increasing our goal to $30,000 for a total raised goal of $55,000.

The last $5,000 of our goal will not be matched but we are SO PROUD of this community and forever grateful. Thank you!

It's Tuesday at 7:00 AM and a Ready, Set, Smile team - comprised of a dental therapist, a dental hygienist, a licensed dental assistant, and three community health workers - is busy setting up our portable clinic at Ascension Catholic School in North Minneapolis. We'll be there for the next two school days to treat about 90 students with preventive services including sealants and Silver Diamine Fluoride using noninvasive, decay-controlling techniques. We'll also spend time in their classrooms teaching them how to care for their oral health. 

This is all done at NO COST to the uninsured students or their families. We only accept Medicaid payments from the insured.

Without this portable clinic, most, if not all of our patients (over 3,000 total) would have NO ACCESS to dental care. Due to financial, language, transportation and/or knowledge constraints, these kids are left untreated - leading to the #1 childhood chronic disease - dental cavities. 

When kids suffer from the pain of a dental cavity, it leads to a lack of appetite, reduced sleep, and decreased school attendance. This, in turn, can negatively impact their mental health, self-esteem, and education. Many think of a dental cavity as a small problem, but if children are unable to find treatment, the small cavity has major, sometimes life-altering consequences. 

This is why we need your support. Your donation will keep our portable clinics operating at full capacity year-round.

AND....drumroll please...The Southside Legacy Fund will be matching donations until midnight on Nov 21. Whatever you donate today has DOUBLE the impact! The Southside Legacy Fund was created by the managing board of Southside Commons, a 501(c)3 building housing nonprofit. The fund, created by selling the building, indicates a desire to create a lasting source of support for the community neighborhood. This mission was held by St Luke's Lutheran Church, which became El Milagro Lutheran Church, and finally Southside Commons, and will live on through these gifts. 

With $50,000 we can add eight new partner sites, meaning we can add about 500 additional students. Many schools request to become partner sites but we cannot currently add them without the proper funding. We need these gifts to say YES to new partnerships and students! 

At Ready, Set, Smile, our biggest goal is to prevent the problem rather than problem-solve the aftermath. Can we count on you to help us achieve this goal and help hundreds more children across the Twin Cities?