Grants Awarded for Oral Health

Hawai‘i Children’s Action Network (HCAN), through its new oral health project, Oral Health for All Hawai‘i (OHFAH), has awarded a total of five mini-grants to community organizations for community outreach promoting and improving oral health for children and adults in Hawai‘i. The grants, ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 were generously funded by the DentaQuest Foundation Oral Health 2020 Initiative.

The awardees are:

• Kailapa Community Association: Honokoa Summer Bash Project on Hawai‘i Island
• Papa Ola Lokahi:  Pehea ko`u waha? (How’s your mouth?) Project on O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i
• Hui No Ke Ola Pono: Hawaiian Homeland Outreach Project on Maui
• Aloha Medical Mission: Teach and Reach Project in Honolulu
• Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center: Kupuna Smiles Project in Honolulu

Click to read report.

Hawai‘i has the highest rates of oral disease for children and adults in the United States.  A 2015 Hawaii State Department of Health Report, found significant disparities in Hawaii residents relating to ethnicity, income, education, health insurance and geography.

The Oral Health for All Hawai‘i Community Innovation Awards seeks to address those disparities by engaging grassroots organization in at-risk communities to address the root causes and help spark change in a meaningful way.