Dental News - Dentsply Sirona Endodontics employees prepare to deliver donations to Youth Services Tulsa

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Dentsply Sirona Endodontics employees prepare to deliver donations to Youth Services Tulsa

Dentsply Sirona Endodontics employees prepare to deliver donations to Youth Services Tulsa. (Photo: Dentsply Sirona Endodontics)

Thu. 2 August 2018

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TULSA, Okla., USA: Each year, Youth Services of Tulsa (YST) awards an organization or individual donor who has gone above and beyond to support youth in need with its coveted Youth Champion Award. The organization’s 2018 award was recently presented to Dentsply Sirona Endodontics at Blank Canvas, the signature event for Youth Services Tulsa.

In choosing Dentsply Sirona, Youth Services Tulsa recognized it as a “driven company” who is working to make a real difference for Tulsa’s youth and future leaders.

Tara Brown, one of the leaders of the company’s outreach efforts with YST, couldn’t agree more — it’s been the drive and giving spirit of Dentsply Sirona employees that has made the company’s partnership with YST such a success.

The relationship began several years ago when the Tulsa office of Dentsply Sirona was looking for ways to improve its culture of teamwork and being involved in the community.

“Jeannie Bracken, our director of human resources, was on the YST board and knew the organization needed help,” Brown explained. “We reached out to them and got involved with the Gifts of Hope program, helping to match up the needs of the outreach programs with the donations.”

That’s how it started, and the efforts of Dentsply Sirona have just continued to grow since. Over the past year, employees collected hundreds of items to make a brighter future for Tulsa’s youth in need. Employees held an April donation drive where they collected 650 pairs of socks, 250 rain ponchos, 55 pairs of shoes, cash and more.

Most recently, employees stopped by the YST office and donated an additional 363 items.

By working to find new and creative ways to involve employees on every level, Dentsply Sirona has developed a consistent and important investment in Youth Services Tulsa. Employees have not only collected items for donation but also donated their time as volunteers for events such as Blank Canvas or as Safe Place Responder drivers for youth who ask for assistance at Safe Place sites around Tulsa.

Each month, Brown and other Dentsply Sirona employees in Tulsa also reach out proactively to YST to see if there is an urgent need — and then start organizing efforts to fulfill those needs immediately. This has even included developing internal contests and new ideas to help spur efforts for item collection. For the latest donation effort, the Dentsply Sirona team came up with a “Grab Bag” concept that allowed employees to purchase a mystery bag of snacks that could also contain a gift card. By spending only $100, Dentsply Sirona was able to raise $1,600 for YST.

“We’ve toured the YST facility and seen the storerooms,” Brown said. “The need was obvious and to meet those needs seemed natural. It feels good knowing you’re making a difference. And with them we know we are.”

(Source: Dentsply Sirona Endodontics)

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