Children at Rosie’s Place Benefit From GSDM and BAHEC Volunteer Efforts

The Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Division of Community Health Programs (CHP) Oral Health Promotion Director Kathy Lituri, in collaboration with the GSDM chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD), held a dental health fair for children at Rosie’s Place on August 3. This event is held twice a year: once during February school vacation and again in August. Rosie’s Place is a sanctuary for poor and homeless women located in Boston’s South End. GSDM has been volunteering at Rosie’s Place for several years.

The children could visit six interactive stations and learn something different at each stop, such as healthy vs. unhealthy food choices and good oral hygiene practices. They were given a “dental passport” when they entered and got a sticker at each station. When their passport was all stamped, they got a goody bag. The event also let the children practice dressing like dentists in gloves, gowns, face masks, and goggles.

In addition to the 12 AAWD volunteers and Lituri, there was also a group of 11 Boston Area Health Education Center (BAHEC) high school students volunteering. Each BAHEC volunteer was paired up with a GSDM dental student for the day. The BAHEC volunteers also made posters under the direction of Andrea Lam, a recent Boston University Graduate Medical Sciences graduate. Director of the Dental Public Health Program Dr. Ana Karina Mascarenhas and Program Coordinator John James Macom coordinated the involvement of the BAHEC students. This collaboration provided a great opportunity for the dental students to share their experiences with BAHEC high school students who were interested in the possibility of pursuing a career in dentistry.