The Dental Station is really excited to be partnering with St Marks Anglican Church Sadleir to provide free dental treatment to families that are vulnerable to homelessness.
With so much hardship in their day to day lives, it is understandable that health and dental care may be put aside to focus on how to simply get by. Parents lovingly put their children first as they balance their resources in the struggle to make ends meet.
It doesn’t help that public dental resources are operating at full capacity with a growing number of patients seeking public treatment.
As of June 2018, New South Wales’ South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD) has 9,371 adults on the waiting list to receive dental treatment. That’s a staggering number.
From January 7 – 18 2019, The Dental Station will be providing free dental treatment to local residents in Sadleir and surrounding suburbs. Wesley Mission has been instrumental in sourcing patients most in need.
Why Sadleir?
According to the 2016 census, Sadleir had a population of 3,135. The average age was 33, slightly lower than the national average, with higher than expected numbers of people in the 0-14 and 65 plus age groups. There is a significant housing commission population with around a third of the suburb’s dwellings belonging to the Department of Housing. The median household income of $861 per week is substantially less than the national average ($1438).
Wesley Mission is a community housing provider with housing in the Sadleir, Ashcroft and Miller area. This housing consists of small 3 bedroom 1960’s units for transitional housing where families are supported to leave homelessness behind. Other housing managed by Wesley Community Housing in the area is provided to single elderly people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Sadleir is the perfect area to launch our charity program. With a population of young families vulnerable to homelessness, taking care of their dental needs seems fitting. It will be one less thing for the locals to worry about. We have every intention of returning annually to the area to provide free dental work and maintain the continuity of care which is the cornerstone of our philosophy.
If you would like to make a donation to this event, please do so to the right of the this page (further down the page if you’re on a mobile device).
None of this is possible without sponsors and we are extremely blessed to have our major sponsor Metcash who have provided funding as well as essential planning and logistical support for this program. American Express has also been very generous in their sponsorship of this program. We are also immensely grateful to Dentavision, our preferred dental supplier, who have provided vital dental materials and consumables.
If you would like to make a donation, please click here.
Months of planning and preparation is being realised in our pilot charity program. The Dental Station so grateful to be in a position to offer this service and help others with the skills, resources and sponsors we have.
-Jalal
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