The UofL dental practice is part of Goodwill Industries of Kentucky’s newly built, 120,000 square-foot West Louisville Opportunity Center.

The center, which is designed to be a “one-stop shop” for life-changing resources including dental and medical care, workforce training, career coaching, youth mentoring, second-chance banking, and restorative justice services, is expected to serve more than 50,000 people each year.

According to a recent , Kentucky ranks 43^rd in the nation in dental care. As with other UofL community dental practices, the west Louisville practice is designed to serve people with unmet dental care needs, including individuals who have Medicaid or no dental insurance. In addition to serving Goodwill’s clients, the dental practice serves the broader community of west Louisville, which is a nine-neighborhood area comprised of mostly African American residents.

Gerry Bradley, executive vice president and university provost at UofL, and former dean of the UofL School of Dentistry, said the new clinic will provide great benefit for the west Louisville community as well as populate a new generation of highly qualified dentists who will work alongside licensed dentists in their clinical rotations.��

“For the School of Dentistry, the definition of student success means entering the workforce as a competent, confident dental professional who practices evidence-based patient care, leads with compassion and has a purpose-driven, service-oriented mindset,” Bradley said.

Margaret Hill, interim dean for the School of Dentistry, said that dental care can be truly transformational for patients who need it.

“People looking to enter the workforce and progress in their careers can be aided by taking care of oral health, which can help restore overall health and build confidence, both of which can be barriers to moving forward.”

View pictures from the ribbon-cutting event on .��

A partnership that the University of Louisville began with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky in 2016 has diverted thousands of pounds of items such as clothing, shoes, linens, decor, school supplies and non-perishable food from landfills. As part of the partnership, students in nine UofL dormitories are encouraged to put their unwanted end-of-year items in year-end donation bins rather than the trash. Food items are also donated to the .

From 2016 to 2018, UofL students have donated more than 18,000 pounds of items during the end-of-year “Lighten Your Load! Move-Out Waste Reduction” campaign. This year’s campaign ends May 1.

“The successful partnership provides a surge in spring donations for Goodwill Industries of Kentucky and, in turn, helps the university toward its goal of becoming a ,” said Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives.

Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps with job training for those with disabilities and other disadvantages. According to its website, Goodwill diverts about 50 million pounds of items from Kentucky landfills every year.

“We are thrilled to partner with UofL during spring move outs. This initiative diverts thousands of pounds of items from landfills and provides donations to Goodwill that stay in local communities,” said Lennea Wooten, director of Retail for Goodwill industries of Kentucky. “These donations not only reduce waste but are also vital in Goodwill’s effort to provide critical employment services for people with disabilities or other challenges to finding and keeping a job.”