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Through our nationwide Smile Drive campaign, volunteers help kids protect their teeth from decay by collecting oral care products for families in need and teaching their communities about the importance of healthy dental hygiene habits.
2021 Required Flexibility and Creativity
Since COVID restrictions varied by state, Smile Drive volunteers had the option to hold in-person and Smile Drive-Thru collections or online campaigns (some did both!)
Throughout the year, 857 volunteers (including 501 Scouts) collected 34,255 oral care products to give to struggling families.
“I believe every child should have the opportunity to take care of their oral health. If I can provide the tools for preventing oral diseases, I think it's half the battle,” said volunteer Taheya Asad, of Ormond Beach, Florida. She collected 200 toothbrushes and toothpaste and included them in oral health treat bags that also contained brushing charts, a tooth coloring page, crayons and stickers, and donated them to local Head Start programs.
Girl Scout Troop 90115 in Bristow, Virginia collected 1,200 items, which they sorted into dental hygiene bags and donated to Haymarket Regional Food Pantry in Gainesville, Virginia.
“I've done food drives with my troops in the past but never this. We feel great about providing such a special need,” troop leader Erin Blankenship told us. “Since our girls are younger they cannot go to the store and buy, but they could talk about it and they could help sort materials into bags so that the food pantry can provide a family with toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss.”
Combined with generous corporate donations, a total of 185,257 dental hygiene products were distributed to children who need them the most. Click here to read the full story.
Visit our Smile Drive page for more details about holding a Smile Drive to help kids in your community.
