Giving back: Dal community unites in support of the North End Community Health Centre Fund

Dalhousie’s Homecoming is about more than just celebrating the university community; it’s also about helping those around us.

On Saturday, October 18, over 140 alumni, faculty, staff and students from the Faculty of Dentistry came together to raise funds for the North End Community Health Centre Fund during the Dentistry Alumni Dinner.

"When we began planning the dinner, we wanted to attach a cause that our alumni, faculty, staff and students could rally behind," says Dr. Lee Erickson, Chair of the Dentistry Alumni Committee. "We selected the North End Community Health Clinic Fund this year because many of our dentistry and dental hygiene students participate in outreach initiatives at its clinic.”

The event raised over $10,000 for the North End Community Health Clinic Fund. The Halifax based clinic sees Dentistry and Dental hygiene students as well as faculty and alumni volunteering their time year-round to help make a difference in the lives of members of the North End community.

“The money raised helps ensure we will be able to continue this outreach program for years to come,” says Dr. Chris Lee, director of Dalhousie’s Emergency Dental Clinic. “These funds go toward patient care and ensuring these vulnerable and underserved populations will continue to receive both preventative and restorative dental care.”

Benefits of giving back

Some of the clinic patients include individuals from nearby homeless shelters, rehab centres, women’s shelters and refugees. For some, it has been 20 years since they last saw a dentist; for others this is their first visit.

“We recognized a demand in that area that needed to be served,” says Dr. Lee. “There are some people who have never stepped foot outside of the north end and they weren’t able to seek proper dental care.”

Originally, it was mainly Dentistry students that volunteered at the clinic due to the nature of care needed. However, after a year, it became apparent that there was a need for preventative care. Dental Hygiene students then began rotation at the clinic in 2012 and are now there every Friday.

“More than once I have seen tears in my students’ eyes because a patient has been so thankful for the work they provided that day,” says Dental Hygiene Instructor Teanne MacCallum, who oversees the clinic rotation. “Every week I leave the clinic feeling thankful and rewarded.”

Alumni connections

Faculty and students aren’t the only ones volunteering their time to help these at-risk patients. Once a month, several alumni volunteer help out at the clinic.

“Monetary donations provide physical materials to the clinic which is necessary, but there also must be professionals there to deliver the treatment,” says Dr. Ian MacAskill (DDS’11) who volunteers at the clinic. “Both modes of support are vital to the NECHC and I would encourage other alumni to support in whichever ways they can.”

Sometimes, the patients aren’t the only ones leaving the appointment with a smile on their faces.

“The feeling you get when you have relieved pain that someone has been dealing with for months, or restore someone’s self confidence by fixing their chipped front tooth... is a great reward,” says Dr. MacAskill.