Chicago, IL — Oral Health America (OHA), a national nonprofit organization, received a $50,000 grant from the Annenberg Foundation to expand services in California. These services will be provided through OHA's Smiles Across America® (SAA) program, which provides grant funding and technical assistance to school-based and school-linked oral health organizations nationwide.
In an effort to reduce costs, the state of California has eliminated funding for many programs, including oral health. “As California continues to eliminate resources for oral health, our local community providers are being asked to do so much more with fewer resources,” said Leonard Aube, Executive Director, Annenberg Foundation. “We are thrilled that Oral Health America, through its Smiles Across America Program, will support local community programs in developing their capacity to serve more children.”
The grant will allow OHA to increase its outreach in California through the SAA Product Donation Project. OHA will also work with local community stakeholders to provide training to local community providers through the SAA Webinar series, host a Share and Learn Conference for California-based programs, and continue to support the SAA partners already located in the state.
“OHA is honored to receive this grant at the request of the Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and the Annenberg Foundation,” said Amanda Ciatti, Programs Manager, Oral Health America. “The opportunity to enhance our support of local Smiles Across America partners, and align our efforts to the current work of oral health stakeholders, will help improve the oral health of children and families in California.”
Oral Health America’s mission is to change lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to care, education and advocacy for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. For more information, visit www.oralhealthamerica.org.
The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation that provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally.
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