With Help of Boston University Students, Homeless Vets Stand Down

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:August 7, 2008
With Help of BU Students, Homeless Vets Stand Down(Boston) - For around 7,000 Massachusetts veterans who have defended their country abroad, the return home is plagued with homelessness and a dire need of supportive services. Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine (BUGSDM) students and staff hygienists will be part of the solution Friday, August 8, as they provide free dental screenings and information to veterans at Boston's Operation Stand Down in Clifford Park.
Operation Stand Down, named for the act of returning to a secure base camp after combat to find meals, personal hygiene care, and medical services, will provide just that.
Veterans will have access to haircuts, clothing, food, housing advice and health screenings.With good oral health increasingly recognized as a key to overall wellbeing, BUGSDM looks forward to meeting many men and woman at the event. "Whether they are looking for oral screenings, advice, or just someone to talk to, our students and staff are humbled and appreciative to be asked to be part of the Stand Down," says BUGSDM's Oral Promotion Coordinator Kathy Lituri.Veterans Benefits Clearinghouse, which organizes volunteers, asked BUGSDM to be the event's first dental care provider in 2007, when the School spoke to about 100 homeless veterans.Operation Stand Down takes place Friday, August 8 at 8 a.m. through Saturday, August 9, at 2 p.m. at Clifford Park, across from 1010 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston.
The mission of Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine is to provide excellent education to dental professionals throughout their careers; to shape the future of dental medicine and dental education through research; to offer excellent health care services to the community; to participate in community activities; and to foster a respectful and supportive environment.— 30 —Contact:Jackie Rubin, Communications SpecialistBoston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine617/638-4892, jackier@bu.edu