FOUNDATION STORIES:
Operation School Bell
The Snohomish County Dental Foundation is proud to partner with the Assistance League of Everett’s Operation School Bell, to help kids get a great start back to school!
Since 1965, Assistance League of Everett has had the privilege of providing school clothes to over 100,000 children and teens, one child at a time. All preschool, elementary, and middle school students receive an in-person shopping experience at our in-house “store” or a personalized bag of new clothing Currently, AL has long-standing agreements with 15 school districts throughout Snohomish County. Each Child Receives:
- Three pairs of jeans, pants or leggings
- One jacket
- One sweatshirt
- Three shirts
- Six pairs of underwear
- Six pairs of socks
- One personal hygiene care kit
- One pair of shoes
- One book of their choice
They also have a Teen Retail Program that allows older kids to pick out their own clothes. In partnership with local Fred Meyer stores, qualified high school students are provided with vouchers to shop for appropriate school attire. Students may choose clothing and shoes up to $150 in total cost. During the 2022 – 2023 year, Assistance League provided this shopping experience for 854 teens for a total benefit of over $107,000.
The Snohomish County Dental Foundation contributes $4,000 worth of dental hygiene supplies so every kid receives a new toothbrush, toothpaste and floss. For some children, this is their first toothbrush. There is no better way to encourage basic oral health for all kids in our community. For more information on this wonderful organization, please check out this video that details Operation School Bell. Operation School Bell Video Here
Assistance League is a national organization with 120 chapters across the country. The Everett Chapter was founded in 1965 and currently has over 300 members. Their dedicated members and community volunteers donated over 82,000 hours in the past year.
FOUNDATION STORIES
Child Oral Health Initiative
For those who might not be aware, the Snohomish County Dental Society has a sister organization, the Snohomish County Dental Foundation (SCDF). Our foundation was created in 1994 and has given nearly $300,000 in support of dental needs in our county. Most recently, SCDF partnered with the local public health to fund early childhood dental awareness materials for marginalized communities in our area. The Snohomish County Health Department (formerly Health District) designed and produced community materials with basic oral health information for children ages 0-2. The zine (a tiny, full-color brochure similar to a magazine) is available in six languages. The publication was debuted this February at Toothapalooza. It’s printed in English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese, and is being distributed all over the county in the past month. At the request of Community Health Centers of Snohomish County’s Chief Dental Officer, the Zine is now being distributed to all 6 dental clinics across the county. Zines will also be shared with various social service agencies serving young children and their families, such as WIC clinics and Early Head Start & ECEAP centers, and agencies that support refugees. This is a fantastic way to educate the community on child oral health. We know that reaching children when they are young makes a dramatic difference in their lifelong oral well-being. Our Foundation is thrilled to be a part of this timely and innovative project. Snohomish County has seen a wave of international immigrants in the recent past. We are proud to be a supportive neighbor in welcoming them with information in their native languages. If you are interested in volunteering on our Foundation Board or learning more, please contact the SCDS office. The Foundation is reliant on donations, as well as our annual Gala, to support Foundation grants.
