Dental Teams Nominate Worthy Causes

Karen Roach for Birthday Cakes 4 Free

Karen Hall for Smile Train

Sherri Fassio (and Dr. Young) for CASA

Leslie and Candice for Animal Friends Rescue

WORTHY CAUSES NOMINATED

BY DENTAL TEAMS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Dental teams from all over Santa Cruz County nominated a "worthy cause" to be selected for a charitable contribution by Dr. Joiner.  The four winners (and nominating staff/offices) were:

"Birthday Cakes 4 Free" – Karen Roach – Dr. Rym Partridge

Smile Train – Karen Hall – Dr. Mark Joiner

Animal Friends Rescue – Leslie, Candice and Bree – Dr. Carl Primavera

CASA – Sherri Fassio – Dr. Tom Young

Here is a list of ALL of the causes nominated and links (when available) to their websites for more information:

Birthday Cakes 4 Free www.birthdaycakes4free.com – They provide cakes to financially or socially disadvantage kids and seniors.

Smile Train www.smiletrain.org – They provide free cleft and lip palate surgeries for poor children in developing countries.

CASA www.casaofsantacruz.org – A non profit network supporting and promoting court appointed volunteers advocacy for abused and neglected children who have been removed from their homes, due to parental abuse and neglect.

Animal Friends Rescue www.animalfriendsrescue.org – They provide cats and dogs medical help.  They also dedicate in finding good permanent home for abandoned stray and abused animals.

Dientes www.dientes.org – They help those patients who can’t afford the cost of private dental care.

Womens Crisis Center www.wcs-ddm.org – They help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. They counsel and provide safe shelter, legal assistance and advocacy.

Santa Cruz Aids Project www.scapsite.org – They provide effective HIV prevention strategies advocacy and support services for people living with HIV.

Homeless Garden Project www.homelessgardenproject.org – They provide job training and transitional employment to people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness.

Valley Churches United http://www.vcum.org -  They provide food, and help with rent and utilities. They prepare food bags for 1,000 people per month.

Beach Flats Outreach-Vineyard church http://kingdomcomesv.wordpress.com/23-2/ -   gives away over 200 bags of groceries every first of the month.

Hospice of Santa Cruz www.hospicesantacruz.org – They provide professional, compassionate care recognizing that individuals and family are the guiding force in their own end-of-life experience.

CAFEC www.cafec.org – It provides information, resources, technical assistance and systems change advocacy to a statewide network of local families.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters www.santacruzmentor.org – Assist children and youth by providing mentoring relationships.

Red Wings Horse Sanctuary www.redwingshorsesanctuary.org – They rescue and give medical care to horses.

Villalobos Rescue Center www.vrcpitbull.com – A ranch in South California combines pit bull rescue with a work program for former inmates and education program for high risk youth.

Angel Tree Ministry www.angeltree.org – They reach out to the children of inmates.  Thousands of churches purchase Christmas gifts and deliver them on behalf of their incarcerated parent.

Hawaiian Eye Foundation www.hawaiianeyefoundation.org – A non-profit that dedicates in promoting the preservation and restoration and improvement of vision for people of the pacific basin through charitable service, education and research program.

American Cancer Society www.acscan.org – It’s the nations leading cancer advocacy organization that is working everyday to make cancer issues a national priority.

Jacob’s Heart www.jacobsheart.org – Helps families with household bills and provide with prepaid phone cards, gas and groceries of children with cancer.

St. Jude  www.stjude.org – Treats children with cancer from all 50 states and around the world and does cancer research.

Toys for Tots www.toysfortots.org – Run by the US Marines, they provide toys for the less fortunate children in the community.

Salvation Army www.salvationarmyusa.org – They help victims of disaster problems, addiction, and homelessness by giving them food, shelter, Christmas presents and heat in homes for the seniors.

Habitat for Humanity www.habitat.org – They build simple decent affordable housing in partnership with people in need.

Santa Cruz SPCA www.santacruzspca.org – A non-profit animal rescue group based in Santa Cruz.

Second Harvest Food Bank www.thefoodbank.org – Distributes 7.2 million pounds of food per year to local hungry families, children and individuals and seniors in our community through 200 agencies and programs.

Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center www.scccc.org – This year served over 6,000 Santa Cruz residents with culturally sensitive bilingual services through their four service components; Child and family development program, youth services, community recovery services, and community support services.

Options www.communityoptions.org – It educates and empowers low income adults with developmental disabilities with the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve personal goals and optimum potential in life.

Teen Challenge www.teenchallengemontereybay.org – Reaching out and serving men and women with life-controlling issues who recognize their need for a new way of life.

Breast Cancer Society www.breastcancersociety.org – They provide direct help and financial aid to those suffering from breast cancer.

Lung Cancer Society www.lungcancer.org – They provide free professional support services to anyone affected by cancer: People with cancer, caregivers, children, lovedones, and the bereaved.

Hope Services www.hopeservices.org – They provide comprehensive services to more than 2,500 individuals with developmental disabilities.

Partners in Health www.pih.org – Goals are to care for our patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in their communities, and to share lessons learned around the world.

Humane Society www.humanesociety.org – They advocate for better animal laws, investigate animal cruelty, conduct disaster relief, animal rescue, and provide direct care for thousands of animals at their sanctuaries.

Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation www.firehero.org – They provide travel lodging and meals for immediate survivors of fallen firefighters.

Kids in the Klinic http://www.dental.pacific.edu/Support_the_School/Kids_in_the_Klinic.html – They raise funds to provide oral health care for the children at the dental school clinics.  Many of these kids don’t have access to dental care and some have extreme medical problems, birth defects or other debilitating condition.

Twin Lakes Church www.tlc.org – They help many people in need though various ministries.

Expressive Learning Centers works with disabled adults teaching life skills. These are all people disabled from birth.