MDS Foundation Awards 2025 Access to Care Grants
SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass. – March 3, 2025 – The MDS Foundation, the charitable arm of the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS), recently awarded over $100,000 in grants to eight organizations serving the oral health needs of Massachusetts residents. “Each year, the Foundation provides grants to champion oral health initiatives throughout the Commonwealth. This year I am especially proud of the MDS Foundation’s work in providing funding to diverse communities across the state,” shared MDS Foundation Chair Janis Moriarty, DMD. “We will continue breaking down barriers to care and improving the oral health of Massachusetts residents with the Foundation’s continued efforts and the generosity of our donors.”
The annual Access to Care grants support programs by providing increased access to oral health care and education to underserved communities. The following 2025 grant recipients bring innovative programs and initiatives to those in need.Access to Care Grant Recipients
- Boston Healthcare for the Homeless (BHCHP), whose mission is to ensure unconditionally equitable and dignified access to the highest quality health care for all individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the community, was awarded $12,500 to help expand their reach.
- Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD), a provider of accessible and preventative oral health care to underserved teens and young adults in Cambridge, MA, received a $7,000 grant. This funding will be used to provide regular dental screenings, oral health education, and resources for students in the Cambridge Teen Health Center over the school year.
- Dental Lifeline Network (DLN)—Donated Dental Services (DDS) Massachusetts, who has offered underserved patients in Massachusetts access to pro bono dental care since 2005, received a $15,000 grant. This funding will provide oral health care for 30 individuals with disabilities, fragile medical conditions, and the elderly.
- Hillcrest Dental Care received a $15,000 grant to help fund a mobile dental clinic in the Berkshire region. For more than 40 years, Hillcrest has provided oral healthcare to high-need patients in the greater Berkshires, serving over 15,000 patients annually.
- NeighborHealth Corporation, which works to promote and sustain healthy communities and families by providing comprehensive and primary preventative services, received a $5,500+ grant. The grant will be used to continue providing oral healthcare to students through a school-based health center at East Boston High School.
- Smiles for Success Foundation was awarded a $10,000 grant to help the organization expand their reach within Massachusetts. For 30 years, Smiles for Success has provided free dental care to women transitioning from job readiness or workforce reentry programs into employment.
- Tufts University Cares for Veterans Program aims to improve access to oral health care for veterans in Massachusetts with housing insecurity and educate providers on their role working in community-based settings. The Cares for Veterans Program, formerly known as Service with a Smile, received a $15,000 grant to expand their programming to reach more veterans with oral health education, oral health/cancer screenings, and connect them to dental homes for long-term care.
- Volunteers in Medicine (ViM) Berkshires disrupts systematic barriers to health equity and provides free care to those in the region who are ineligible for health insurance and are income qualified. ViM Berkshires was awarded a $20,000 grant to support their second clinic in Pittsfield, MA, which offers dental and general health services.