It’s an old timey expression, to be sure, but one that says volumes about Colgate-Palmolive and its Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® program, which provides free dental screenings and oral health education to children through a fleet of mobile dental vans that travel to under-served rural and urban communities across the U.S. and around the world.
Started 25 years ago in only two cities, Philadelphia and Oakland, BSBF now reaches children in more than 80 countries, at a rate of 12 million a year in the U.S. alone.
Since 2013, a significant number of individual Junior Leagues have sponsored BSBF van visits in their communities. (BSBF also sponsors AJLI’s Community Impact Awards, presented at Annual Conference since 2014.)
Colgate-Palmolive came to partner with The Junior League because BSBF seeks out organizations with deep roots in their communities. Dawna Michelle Fields, BSBF’s Director of Community Affairs, says that the League’s mission of improving the lives of children aligns beautifully with the BSBF mission of improving the oral health of children, one kid at a time. BSBF looks forward to working with Junior Leagues in 2017 and beyond.
The program’s goal is to reach 1.3 billion children around the world by 2020 with information on how children and families can maintain a healthy smile. They are up to 850 million so far.
Getting to that ambitious goal requires tremendous effort, however, not just by BSBF but by its many partners. For example, in the U.S., BSBF partners with organizations as varied as The Links, Incorporated, Boys & Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, the Urban League, the NAACP, Points of Light and Junior Achievement.
“Bright Smiles, Bright Futures is in good company with The Junior League,” Dawna comments. “When you do good, you do well,” Dawna says, adding: “We have delivered a lot of good to our communities, but we can certainly do more.”