Outreach doesn’t end because students are learning from home.
Each year, West Virginia University School of Dentistry students volunteer hundreds of hours and participate in several hundred oral healthcare awareness and education programs.

Between July 1, 2018 thru June 30, 2019, dental and dental hygiene students performed 1,405 community service activities with an impact on approximately 39,757 West Virginians.

The School of Dentistry is committed to connecting students with rural patients who have great oral healthcare needs and having students improve their communities.

In response to growing concerns about the novel coronavirus, West Virginia University announced the rest of the semester be finished through online courses. West Virginia residents, including nearly all of our faculty, staff and students, are under a governor mandated stay at home order.

However, dental school students seem to be just as busy continuing to serve in a new way.

COVID-19 AND OUTREACH

Masks

Brittany Moleta
DDS, Class of 2023
New Bern, NC

“I have started sewing handmade masks at home, in New Bern, NC, to donate to communities both near and far that are running critically low on PPE in healthcare settings! There is a group of about 20 people helping sew and distribute these masks daily. We operate strictly on donations from the community to be able to cover the cost of supplies and shipping. By mid-March, we raised $907 and received 1,251 orders and requests for masks within the first 5 days they were available. We received orders from across 18 states and a request from troops in Germany. In those first 5 days, we completed and distributed 407 of those orders.”

Small Business

Maggie Conde
DDS Class of 2020
Buckhannon, WV

“It is not outreach in the traditional sense, but I have been trying to spread this around as much as possible. I am from a small town in Upshur County, WV. The City of Buckhannon derives MUCH of its culture and hometown-feel from the small local restaurants, bakeries, pubs, etc. Even in cities like Morgantown, these sorts of places are going to suffer and may risk going out of business over the following months. I read the idea online that a safe way to support these businesses without risking your own health is to call in over the phone and purchase gift cards. Either have them hold it for you or mail it to you or come up with a safe way to pick it up. I have been calling up all my favorite restaurants in Buckhannon and buying as many gift cards as I can afford to help those impacted by COVID-19 at this time. I hope others will do the same if we can spread the word! Please pass this along to anyone who will listen.”