Inspiration
Project Healthy Smile’s inspiration comes from the tremendous need for dental health education in many countries worldwide. While traveling through some of the most impoverished regions of the world we visited many orphanages and children’s organizations. We found that basic dental needs are not being met. Generally, this stems from poverty and lack in dental health education. We were saddened to learn some children were sharing toothbrushes and many children did not even know what a toothbrush or toothpaste were. These are basic necessities that every child deserves. The birth of Project Healthy Smile began with our first mission in Vietnam. We personally donated floss, toothbrushes, toothpaste and tongue scrapers to the children of Agape Children’s Home. In addition, we provided a lesson on proper dental care and oral health. We also explained the importance of compliance to the children’s caregivers who were thankful and supportive. We saw that even with limited resources we were able to make an enormous and positive impact on these beautiful children. We are blessed to have such an eager an experienced Board of Directors. We are also grateful for the support of family and friends. “We are excited to begin this amazing journey. Project Healthy Smile will protect and preserve the smiles of our future.” PHS is an all volunteer organization.
» Read actual journal entries from the trip that inspired PHS
Our Mission
Our mission is to bring oral health education and dental supplies to underprivileged children globally.
Board Of Directors
Michelle Patterson R.D.H. / Co-Founder & Executive Director
Michelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. After working in the field for several years she came across an opportunity to teach English and do volunteer work in Vietnam. She was proud to volunteer as the first English teacher for Agape Children’s Home. She also used her free time to visit children and help feed infants at several other orphanages in Ho Chi Minh City. While traveling through SE Asia she visited and donated to orphanages and children’s organizations in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. “Teaching, traveling and volunteering on the other side of the globe was an incredible and eye opening experience. As a registered hygienist, it was hard not to notice an overall lack in oral health. I was saddened the most by the number of children I saw with infection and disease in their mouthes. Educating these children on oral health and giving them the tools to stay compliant increases the chances they will pass this down for generations to come. I am proud to be a part Project Healthy Smile’s mission to save smiles worldwide.”
Hollie Mae Schultz / Co-Founder & Executive Director
Hollie Mae has a Bachelor of Independent Studies Degree in Public Health and Sociology from the University of Minnesota. She has worked for 10 years doing direct services as a Youth Advocate and Counselor for at-risk and homeless youth through non-profit organizations, such as Project Foundation and The Bridge in Minneapolis, MN. “Working with at-risk youth for many years showed me how a community can be the greatest influence on a child. When the community is lacking in the proper knowledge and tools, then children don’t go without, they go without knowing any different. The idea of giving a child the education and tools for good health is a basic need that every person deserves. Project Healthy Smile has the ability to provide this basic need and make a mission of improving the quality of life for children in vulnerable situations. Teaching the value of good health and how to sustain good health is our priority.”
Tiffany Serbus / Chief Development Officer
Tiffany Serbus developed a passion for nonprofit while studying at the University of London, England. Determined to make her international learning experience all-encompassing, she immersed herself into volunteering. Upon returning to the States, she continued by partnering with Maria’s Children, Art Rehabilitation Program for Russian orphans and ultimately went to Moscow to work directly in the orphanages. Tiffany believes that helping someone in need, while learning about another culture, is the most gratifying travel experience. “Working directly with the people gives you an insight that you can’t get from a travel guidebook, no matter how many you read.” Tiffany has a business and marketing degree with a minor in Psychology from St. Thomas in Minnesota.
Punita Fielding / Director
Punita graduated with an Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene from Northern Virginia Community College and is pursuing bachelors in Dental Hygiene from Old Dominion University currently. She has over 9 years of experience in the dental field and has been active with volunteering over the years in projects such as Mission of Mercy; Give kids a Smile Day. She was proud and honored to travel to Ghana, Africa with her college during the summer of July on a dental mission trip to provide dental care and education to the impoverished indigenous population of Ghana. During her trip, she visited 2 orphanages in a small village where she delivered care to over 100 children. Her experience was extremely rewarding and self fulfilling since she was able to combine two of her passions in her life- dental and cultural learning. She has been an advocate of getting involved with the global dental care and addressed the issue by being a speaker at the last Northern Virginia Dental Hygiene Association’s board meeting. “Seeing the happy faces at the orphanage in Ghana, after the kids received tooth brushes and instructions was priceless. The need for dental care globally is so great that programs and organizations such as PHS cannot be underestimated. I am beyond honored to be part of PHS and make a difference in a child’s life- one smile at a time.”
Jon Guy / Director
Jon Guy has more than 37 years of management and leadership experience. He coaches mission based organizations around the country in their governance and fund raising efforts. Previously, he served as Vice-President of Development for Second Harvest Heartland where he was responsible for integrating a strong direct mail program with Major Donor development, corporate/community events and giving with an emerging set of social media tools and traditional public relations. Specific business experience included emphasis on direct mail donor cultivation and acquisition, planned giving and other development activities. He held increasingly responsible positions during his 22-year career in financial management at General Mills, Inc., was Major Gift Officer for the American Refugee Committee and served as Finance and Planned Giving Director for the Jeremiah Program in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “I love this organization. We are making a tangible difference in the lives of children, one child at a time. That’s what it’s all about. I am honored to play a small part in this mission.”
Beth Holger-Ambrose / Director
Beth Holger-Ambrose is the Homeless Youth Services Coordinator for the state of Minnesota-DHS. This position includes funding, policy, planning and program development for runaway and homeless youth across the state. Prior to working at DHS, Beth worked for Avenues for Homeless Youth and The Bridge (both in Minneapolis) with street outreach, emergency shelter, transitional living program and independent living skills programs for runaway and homeless youth for eight years. Beth also is a volunteer through Streetworks, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Legal Aid. She has a B.A. in Political Science and Cultural Anthropology and a Masters degree in Nonprofit Management and Public Policy from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. In 2005 Holger-Ambrose was the recipient of a Virginia Mcknight-Binger Award in Human Service. “I am honored to support an organization dedicated to providing dental care to children that are living in impoverished countries. PHS will be able to make huge contributions across the world to these children and their surrounding communities. The founders of PHS are incredible leaders and advocates and I know that PHS will make a huge difference in the lives of children across the world!”
Jaclyn Kartak / Director
Jaclyn is a senior at the University of St. Thomas. She has been a leader in fundraising for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for the past three years on campus. Serving as a Executive Board Member of “Up ’til Dawn,” a student lead organization on campus, Jaclyn has involved recruiting students on campus, planning and organizing the major fundraising events, as well as marketing the events on campus. It was in this work for St. Jude that Jaclyn developed her passion for the nonprofit world and found her calling helping others. This past summer Jaclyn had a fundraising events internship with the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Red Cross, helping to plan some of their events for elite donors as well as developing an outreach program to schools in the twin cities as they host fundraising events of the Red Cross. Jaclyn will be graduating from the University of St. Thomas in the spring of 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis on marketing and a Minor in Psychology. “Project Healthy Smile is one of those amazing organizations that you feel grateful just to be a part of, knowing that what you are doing will truly make a difference. I look forward to watching it grow as more and more people realize its mission and join this worthy cause.”