Richmond, VA – January 17, 2018 – The Virginia Dental Association Foundation (VDAF) was recently awarded a generous $15,000 grant from Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation (DDVF) to support its Mission of Mercy (MOM) program.  

The VDAF provides care through various direct service programs, including the Mission of Mercy (MOM) mobile dental projects, Donated Dental Services (DDS), and Give Kids a Smile!. Funding from DDVF will support the MOM program’s free dental clinics to be conducted across the state in 2018. Launched in 2000, the MOM program operates mobile clinics to offer free dental services throughout Virginia. MOM projects are conducted in identified, underserved areas of the state where there are not enough dental practitioners to adequately address the oral health needs of the community. Through 97 completed MOM projects, 65,506 patients have received dental care. The services, valued at over $44.2 million in total, were provided by over 28,000 volunteers. To learn more or volunteer with a 2018 MOM project, please visit, www.vdaf.org.

“Many Virginians still find themselves without dental insurance and are unable to afford care,” said Frank Lucia, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Virginia. “Through this continued partnership, DDVF can help provide access to quality dental care for many of our neighbors in need.”

“The VDAF is very grateful for the tradition of collaboration with DDVF and our other generous partners,” said Barry Isringhausen, President of the Virginia Dental Association Foundation. “Working together we can leverage their support to provide the best care available for the underserved in Virginia. The MOM Program both cares for the immediate health needs of vulnerable patients and helps to create sustainable solutions in the communities that need them most.”

In recent months, the VDAF and its MOM program has also received support from the following corporations and foundations:

• Buchanan County Youth, Inc. - $10,000
• Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation - $6,500
• Pierre Fauchard Academy Foundation - $5,000
• Virginia Premier Health Plan - $5,000
• Virginia Oral & Facial Surgery - $5,000
• The Community Foundation of the Virginias - $2,000

ABOUT THE VDAF

Founded in 1996 as the charitable and outreach arm of the Virginia Dental Association, the VDAF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide access to dental care for underserved and underinsured Virginians. For more information about the Virginia Dental Association Foundation and its programs, visit www.vdaf.org.