The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation has given grants to 11 organizations, totaling $195,000, in West Virginia to provide relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic. These unrestricted grants were intended to help the Foundation's nonprofit partners continue to provide vital services to the most vulnerable members of their communities.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has been a one-two punch for many of our West Virginia-based nonprofit partners by increasing the needs for their services while reducing their fundraising capability and ability to rely on volunteers," said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of Foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California. "We made the decision to allocate nearly all of our 2020 funding to support those fighting on the front lines of COVID-19 and will continue to be a resource to our communities as this pandemic continues."
Organizations that received funding included health centers, food banks and other community organizations providing services to elderly and home-bound individuals, including:
- Beckley Health Right in Beckley
- Cabin Creek Health Center in Clendenin
- Change Incorporated in Weirton
- Clay-Battelle Health Services Association in Blacksville
- Ebenzer Medical Outreach in Huntington
- Kanawha County Dental Health Council in Charleston
- Mid-Ohio Valley Board of Health in Parkersburg
- Monongalia County Health Department Dentistry in Morgantown
- Susan Dew Hoff Memorial Clinic in West Milford
- West Virginia Health Right in Charleston
- Wheeling Health Right in Wheeling
The grants in West Virginia are only a fraction of the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation response. In total, the Foundation has given roughly $11 million to more than 250 organizations across 15 states and Washington, D.C. and plans to make an additional several million in funding available in the coming months to respond to emerging needs as the pandemic continues.
Delta Dental of California and its affiliates also partnered with Lendeavor on a $300 million loan program for its independent dental providers and offered premium relief to customers. In addition, Delta Dental provided emergency time off and other resources to employees affected by illness or closures resulting from the pandemic. All told, Delta Dental of California and its affiliates financial support to stakeholders affected by COVID-19 exceeds $700 million.
About the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation partners with local communities to increase access to care, support dental education and fund research that advances the oral health field. Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded more than $60 million across 15 states and the District of Columbia. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies, including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and Delta Dental of New York, Inc.
About Delta Dental of California
Since 1955, Delta Dental of California has offered comprehensive, high quality oral health care coverage to millions of enrollees and built the strongest network of dental providers in the country.
The Delta Dental of California network includes its affiliates, Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., and provides dental benefits to more than 36 million people across 15 states and the District of Columbia. All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, the not-for-profit national association that collectively covers millions of people nationwide.
For more information about Delta Dental of California, please visit www.deltadentalins.com.
