D19 Community Service has some great work planned with the Cardinal Medeiros Center in Bay Village, Boston, and it all starts with a Meet and Greet.
The Cardinal Medeiros Center (CMC) is a day shelter for men who are forty-five years and older. Several D19 students went to meet with the men on Monday, May 16th. They gave a short presentation about dentistry and how they plan to help the men and the center. Following the presentation, the men were given a crossword puzzle with broad dental terminology made by the D19 CMC committee and each person was given a goodie bag of oral hygiene supplies. Afterward, the D19s helped to serve food and enjoyed some lunch with the men of CMC. This Meet and Greet was a great opportunity to get to know the CMC patrons and build a relationship that will allow the D19s to continue to connect with them and provide them with meaningful oral health promotion and more in the future.
Abigail Manzella (D19), D19 Community Service Co-Director, shares her experience:
“I definitely recommend an informal meet-and-greet for the first visit at any new location if you are planning a series of visits. This introductory visit allowed us to show the men at the center that we truly care about helping them in the most effective way possible and that we are not just simply there to force information on them that we think might be valuable. We were able to ask them what they want and need from us and they gave us great feedback on our ideas for the next visits. A couple of us have been fortunate enough to meet and spend time with some of the patrons of the Cardinal Medeiros Center before and it is amazing to see how much the men have already warmed up to us. It is truly remarkable to see the relationship between the dental students and these men develop and we are excited for what is to come.”
If you would like to involved with D19 Community Service, contact Co-Directors Abby and Jackie.
