l to r: Assembly Speaker Sheldon Sliver, Dean Alfano, Assemblyman Steven Sanders

The Smiling Faces, Going Places mobile dental care program, which brings dental services to underserved populations, has received a grant of $300,000 from New York State and a grant of $250,000 from The Starr Foundation, one of the most respected philanthropies in the world.

“Smiling Faces, Going Places is moving at remarkable speed,” said Dean Alfano. Traveling to schools and community centers throughout New York City and beyond, the program has provided essential dental services to over 1,500 children in the past year. Equally important, it has elicited critical financial support, which is essential to maintain this extremely effective form of outreach in areas where access to oral health care is negligible. “The public-private sector philanthropic momentum created by New York State and The Starr Foundation needs to continue, and we are hopeful that it will resonate with other potential major benefactors.

“We express profound gratitude to New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and the New York State Legislature, to the officers and trustees of The Starr Foundation, and to the van’s other sponsors, Healthplex, Inc. and Urban Dental Management (UDM), for sending a clear message that helping to improve the oral
health and well-being of underserved communities is a priority.”