Since 2011, Open Arms Children’s Health has cared for the dental needs of children across the Louisville community, particularly those for whom dental services are often difficult to access. While it serves all children in the community, the dental clinic at Open Arms specializes in providing quality dental care for children placed in foster care, children with autism spectrum disorder, children of refugees and children with medical complexity.

The UofL School of Dentistry will elevate the dental services provided at Open Arms Children’s Health to a higher level through expanded staffing and a full range of pediatric dental care. These services are supported by faculty, residents and students from a dental school ranked in the top 50 worldwide, according to the��.

“This partnership is such a natural progression for the Home,” said Paul Robinson, Home of the Innocents president and CEO. “When our dental clinic first opened, UofL’s School of Dentistry was right there with us helping to make sure we could provide the best dental services to our community. We are very excited to welcome them back to our campus and look forward to working with them.”

“Clinics like this one are a win-win. They help meet the oral health needs of underserved populations, while also providing externship opportunities for dental students and residents,” said T. Gerard Bradley, dean of the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. “Through these experiences, our students become not just more skilled, but also more compassionate. It takes both to be an outstanding dental provider.”

All other Home of the Innocents services will remain unchanged, including The Village Pharmacy, Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center, all on-campus and community-based Behavioral Health Services and The Aquatic Therapy Center.

This year, the UofL community has facilitated toy drives, winter clothing drives, food drives and more. Here’s a glance at our campus community’s benevolence, with some opportunities remaining to get involved.

The UofL School of Dentistry has a “Giving Tree” located in the lecture room hallway on the first floor that serves as a collection site for items needed by local homeless children. The school is collecting scarves, mittens, hats, coats, etc., of all sizes for all ages through Dec. 14.

For many years, ULSD staff member Gene Esterle has coordinated the collection and delivery of these items to local family homeless shelters. Esterle will check the Giving Tree on a regular basis and deliver donated items throughout the holiday season.

Additionally, last weekend dental students led the “Shop with a Dentist” program, partnering with 20 underserved students from Wheatley Elementary School to take part in holiday festivities, buy gifts and engage in learning. Last weekend, each child was paired with a dental student and given $100 to shop for holiday gifts.

Dental student and local Student National Dental Association member Darius Sanford says the Shop with a Dentist event gives kids a fun experience, along with information about budgeting and proper oral hygiene.

“Community engagement is an important mission of our school and we are proud to be a part of reaching out to these children,” Sanford said. ��

The Office of Student Involvement works with Family Scholar House each year to buy gifts for kids that live there.��

The PEACC Center hosted a holiday donation drive for a local non-profit, collecting dry beans, white rice, diapers, baby wipes, hats, gloves, scarves, gift cards and more.

Through November, the Latin American and Latino Studies Club collected books and winter clothing for Doors to Hope, a local organization that engages with and advocates for women and immigrant families.��

The Women’s Center Student Parent Association sponsored an Angel Tree initiative.

The School of Public Health and Information Sciences delivered toys, clothing and other necessities to the Home of the Innocents earlier this week. The building SPHIS occupies at 485 E. Gray St. used to be the Home of the Innocents’ primary facility. Since 1880, the home has been helping Louisville’s most at-risk and vulnerable citizens — poor families, distressed mothers, their children and medically-fragile children.

The Student National Medical Association at UofL’s School of Medicine has been accepting coats, gloves and blankets to help the homeless in our community. Project Warm runs through Dec. 7 with a drop-off box in the lobby of the Instructional “B” Building.

According to Sharon Gordon, student success coordinator of Medical Student Affairs, the SNMA chose to focus on the homeless population this holiday season because students walk past many homeless citizens on their way to the HSC campus.��

“They wanted to help those that they see struggling in a way that could have immediate results, and so Project Warm was born,” she said

This year, the Research Resources Center is collecting donations for the Home of the Innocents to help homeless families and displaced children. Items needed include deodorant, feminine hygiene products, socks, laundry baskets, clothes of all sizes, underwear (all sizes), plastic totes with lids, toys, etc. Donations will be accepted through December 13 at MDR 012 (basement) or by contacting Sarah Tinsley (852-3675) about arranging a possible pick up.

The RRC hosts a holiday charity drive each year, coordinated by a team within the department. Typically, donations are collected for children’s hospitals. This year’s host team wanted to help families and people in need of all ages and the department is very excited about this opportunity to give back to the community, said Tegan Tulloch, IACUC coordinator.

UofL Athletics hosted a winter clothing drive during UofL Men’s and Women’s Basketball games earlier this month. Donations were delivered to Kentuckiana homeless shelters. ��

“Some of these kids are three or four, so if we intervene at this level we will be able to save their vision. Otherwise they would have gotten picked up in their teenage years or adulthood, and at that point we can’t do anything,” said Aparna Ramasubramanian, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology.

Of the children screened, 73 were recommended for more comprehensive eye exams. The physicians are following up with their families to ensure they get the needed exams.

More than 20 medical residents, faculty members and medical students helped with the screenings.

“We have such an enthusiastic group of residents that are dedicated to community service. That’s why we are here to help out the community and help the kids in need,” said Sidharth Puri, MD, an ophthalmology resident at UofL.

The event also served as a learning opportunity for the medical residents.

“It’s trying to pick up when they need to do a full exam and when not, which they can’t learn in a clinic,” said Ramasubramanian. “It’s very important for the residents to learn that.”

See a video from the event below.��