Funding from the dental foundation provides scholarships for members of the military and their families in honor of Military Family Appreciation Month.
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation has awarded $100,000 to the Joint Military Coalition to provide oral health and wellness scholarships and certification support to members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard as well as transitioning veterans and their family members.
“Veterans Day honors the members of our military who protect our freedom, but their families also make sacrifices to support that service,” said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California and its affiliates. “That’s why we are proud to partner with the Joint Military Coalition to create opportunities for those who serve as well as for their spouses.”
Unemployment among military spouses is high, which may be due to a number of factors including frequent relocation, and access to affordable childcare, education, and career training. Scholarships for training in high-demand fields, such as oral health and wellness, provide a path to employment for military members, veterans, and their spouses that might not otherwise be attainable, improving financial health for many of these families.
“We are incredibly thankful to once again receive this tremendous support from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation,” said Lt Gen Bruce “Orville” Wright, USAF (Ret), president of the Air Force Association. “Like all of our associations in the Joint Military Coalition, Delta Dental understands the sacrifices our servicemen and women and their families make to support the United States. This generous grant has already helped numerous military families and we look forward to providing this critical assistance again.”
This is the third year the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation has partnered with the Joint Military Coalition to fund these scholarships, which will be divided up among the five military associations: Association of the United States Army; Association of the United States Navy; Marine Corps League; Air Force Association; and Coast Guard Foundation. Each association will provide 10 scholarships with the grant money to help ease the tuition burden for recipients.
