Residents of This North Carolina Town Struggled to Afford Dental Care—Volunteers Banded Together to Make It Free
The Tooth Fairies are the clinic’s eye-catching mascots.In 2003, three churches brought a mobile dental clinic to Cashiers, North Carolina, a tiny vacation town with just 752 year-round residents. When the clinic moved on, hundreds of hopefuls were left in line.Church volunteers who saw the good that accessible dental care could do raised funds to buy office space. Dental practices donated chairs and equipment; a dentist and a hygienist donated their time; and the Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic was open. The pool of volunteers grows every year: In 2023, more than 20 professionals helped some 700people with overdue fillings, extractions and dentures.You dont need to walk around feeling bad about yourself, because they can change your life for the better, says Elizabeth Hooper, who skipped her school reunion because she couldnt afford to fix her teeth. I got the smileIm going to show it off!GetReader’s DigestsRead Up newsletter for more inspiring stories, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.Why trust usFor more than 100 years, Readers Digest has been known for its heartwarming true stories and focus on community. In 2016, we launched the Nicest Places in America, an annual contest that honors kind, inspiring people making a difference in their hometowns. Readers send in nominations, and Readers Digests editorial team vets the entries and whittles them down with the help of a panel of judges. This year, the judges included Todays Al Roker, Tuesdays with Morrie author Mitch Albom, author and podcast host Mnica Guzmn, award-winning journalist and author Steve Petrow, Reader’s Digest CEO Bonnie Kintzer, and Craig Elston, a barber who helped Buffalo, New York, earn the title of Nicest Place in America in 2023. We are committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. Read more about our team, ourcontributorsand our editorial policies.Random Acts of Kindness to TryThe Touching Kindness of Strangers Kindness Quotes That Will Stay with YouThe post Residents of This North Carolina Town Struggled to Afford Dental Care—Volunteers Banded Together to Make It Free appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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