FGC admires Wrigley’s dental work

FGC admires Wrigley’s dental work

The NZ Food & Grocery Council congratulates the Wrigley Company Foundation on its Community Service Grants for 2015.

The foundation’s judges recently awarded US$23,000 (about NZ$35,000) in grants to communities, including Northland, Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty, to help improve access to oral healthcare and education. This work is done in partnership with the NZ Dental Association.

FGC Chief Executive Katherine Rich said the grants were a further example of companies working in the community to improve the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders.

“This project allows great work in communities that would otherwise not get help. Dental health is so important to overall health and this work gets that message out there.

“You can’t help but be impressed by Wrigley’s community participation. In 2014, the foundation’s grant recipients recruited volunteer dentists and dental therapists to treat 159 patients and educate 2120 adults and children in communities that really needed help.

“When you realise that about 44% of New Zealanders are not receiving any form of dental care, you can see that the foundation’s contribution will make a big difference.

“The Wrigley Company Foundation also helps in the Pacific. The winner of their Pacific Region Dental Aid Grant was the Island of Smiles Project which will send nine New Zealand dental staff to Fiji to treat more than 400 villagers.

“FGC member companies do a lot of great work in schools and communities, including education and advice programmes on healthy cooking and eating, lifestyle advice, and physical activity programmes.”

ends

© Scoop Media