About Us
Children’s Healthy Smile Project (CHSP) was organized in 2007 as a nonprofit corporation in the State of California by Karen Milelli. Karen had extensive philanthropic experience in programs supporting children and discovered that Dental caries (tooth decay) is the single most common chronic childhood disease – 5 times more common than asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever. Over 50 percent of 5- to 9-year-old children have at least one cavity or filling, and that proportion increases to 78 percent among 17-year-olds. In response, CHSP was formed to make a difference through education and supporting organizations such as Head Start, elementary schools and universities involved with children’s dental health. We remain a relatively small organization of volunteers, where 100% of all donations are directly applied to programs. We, generally, will support organizations with funds received in the local community, which aligns with Dermody Properties Foundation’s objectives. CHSP is a platinum level Guidestar participant.
Our Organization
Children's Healthy Smile Project’s mission is to improve basic oral hygiene and promote a healthy smile by providing oral hygiene supplies such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and educational materials to children in need. These items will be distributed by organizations, schools and individuals working with children who are designated as economically disadvantaged. Our goal is to significantly reduce children’s oral health issues.
This is what we can do in children’s health related organizations which request support or we seek out to support:
1. Provide, age appropriate dental hygiene supplies, consisting of a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss or flossers
2. Provide fun handouts such as dental themed comic books, reproducible master handouts
3. Provide ADA booklets on children's dental health for parents
4. Provide Head Start compliant teacher classroom kits
5. Provide dental related children's textbooks in English and/or Spanish
6. Provide teaching aids such as mask, bibs, children's role playing gear
7. Support Grant applications
While we are located in Pleasanton, CA, we do support organizations throughout the United States and have obtained sales tax exemptions in many of the more populated states; California, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida… In the past 2 years we have donated, primarily to Head Start organizations, over 15,000 kits, 1,000 toothbrushes, textbooks, ADA guides and teacher aids.
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GuideStar - Children's Healthy Smile Project is rated as Platinum for transparency.
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