Press Releases

NEWS * HINTZ & BALVIN COMMUNICATIONS
695 S. CATALINA AVENUE * PASADENA * (626) 792-6463 * CBALVIN@SBCGLOBAL.NET

September 8, 2011 Contact: Christle Balvin
(626) 792-6463
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cbalvin@sbcglobal.net

PASADENA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDS $40,000 FOR DENTAL CHAIRS FOR SENIORS

Imagine living on a fixed income of somewhere between $13,000 to $18,000. For those low-income seniors residing in Pasadena without insurance coverage this often means choosing between food and dental work. No longer! A major grant of $40,000 from the Pasadena Community Foundation will make it possible for the City of Pasadena and its health director, Dr. Eric Walsh, to open a state-of-the-art dental clinic at the Pasadena Health Department at 1845 North Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena. The grant is to be announced to donors and presented to Dr. Walsh at the Pasadena Community Foundation’s annual Legacy Luncheon on Thursday, September 8th at the Caltech Athenaeum. This event also honors the Foundation’s Fellows who have contributed more than $1 million to local non-profit agencies through the auspices of the Pasadena Community Foundation where the focus is on giving back to the hometown community.

According to recent recommendations from the local Health Care Consortium and the Pasadena Senior Commission, there is a growing need for low-cost dental services for seniors. Research has shown a correlation between inadequate dental care and poor general health. Therefore, the Board of the Pasadena Community Foundation felt that a major grant for dental services would have a significant impact in helping low-income seniors in Pasadena. This grant is in additional to the almost $1.2 million that the Foundation has already given over the years to support seniors. “After meeting with Dr. Walsh, we recognized that we could leverage our grant funds to partner with the Pasadena Public Health Department which was planning to build a dental clinic with other grant monies. Our donation would allow the expansion of the project to include two dental chairs dedicated to seniors” explains Jennifer DeVoll, Executive Director of the Pasadena Community Foundation. “Many people don’t realize that the Pasadena Public Health Department is not funded by taxpayer money but rather through grants and donations. That’s why our contribution and those of other partners is so important” she says. Dr. Eric Walsh, who will be speaking at the Foundation’s invitational Legacy Luncheon, came to Pasadena in October of 2010. He puts a high priority on increasing the availability of health care to all segments of the population. A graduate of the University of Miami School of Medicine and Loma Linda University School of Public Health, he has served on the Presidential Advisory Council for HIV/AIDS. He is currently President of the California Academy of Preventative Medicine.

The Legacy Luncheon
with presentation from Dr. Eric Walsh
11:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 8th
Caltech Athenaeum
(Corner of Hill Avenue and California Boulevard)

back to press releases