GSDM Volunteers At Brazilian Independence Day Outdoor Festival
On Sunday, September 13, a group of 14 members of the GSDM community—nine students and five faculty members—volunteered at the Brazilian Independence Day Outdoor Festival at Herter Park in Boston. The GSDM volunteers offered dental screenings and other oral health education to the event’s attendees.
The Brazilian Independence Day Outdoor Festival, which began in 1995, brings area residents together to experience Brazilian culture, history and heritage. The event provides people with authentic Brazilian cuisine, musical performances, children’s activities, and educational opportunities. It is open to all people, of all heritages.
The GSDM volunteer trip to the Brazilian Independence Day Outdoor Festival was organized by the GSDM chapter of the Student Hispanic Dental Association (SHDA). This was the second straight year that GSDM volunteers attended the event.
Director of Community-Based Education, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry, and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research Dr. Ana Zea and Clinical Instructor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research Dr. Gladys Carrasco serve as SHDA Faculty Advisors. GSDM student Ana Keohane AS 16 also served a crucial role in the planning of the GSDM volunteer trip to the Brazilian Independence Day Outdoor Festival.
The event is organized by the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS), which seeks to improve the lives of Portuguese-speaking individuals and families from Massachusetts and help them become contributing, active participants in American society while maintaining a strong ethnic identity and sense of community.
The 14 GSDM volunteers screened 20 people, and saw dozens more. The GSDM volunteers worked alongside volunteers from MAPS, who offered free HIV and Hepatitis C screenings.
“The Brazilian Independence Day Outdoor Festival was an excellent opportunity for SHDA students at GSDM to gain hands on oral health experience, while also interacting with multi-generational families, many of them Brazilian, from around the area to learn about and celebrate the Brazilian culture,” said Clinical Instructor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research and Oral Health Promotion Director Ms. Kathy Lituri.
Other activities taking place during the Brazilian Independence Day Outdoor Festival included a parade, face painting, pony rides, Brazilian cuisine tasting, and various live performances.
“I would like to thank our student and faculty volunteers involved with the Student Hispanic Dental Association for attending the Brazilian Independence Day Festival event,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “Your efforts promoting oral health to the local community are highly valued and greatly appreciated.”
GSD student volunteers: Monique Alves DMD 17; Camilla Bezerra DMD 19; Francini Heideman DMD 19; Ana Keohane AS 16; Alejandro; Lander DMD 16; Andrea Lugo AS 16; Joseph Nore DMD 19; Luis Perez DMD 18; Rafaella Sampaio DMD 18.
GSDM faculty/staff volunteers: Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry Dr. Angela Cancado; Clinical Instructor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research Dr. Gladys Carrasco; Clinical Instructor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research and Oral Health Promotion Director Ms. Kathy Lituri; Clinical Instructor, Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research Martin Ugarte-Chavez; Director of Community-Based Education, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry, and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research Dr. Ana Zea.