[KHTS] – The Santa Clarita Valley’s only homeless shelter is asking for volunteer dentists, dental assistants and hygienists to help veterans in need, Bridge To Home officials said Friday.

“We are in desperate need of finding dentists who are willing to donate their time one Saturday a year at our dental clinic at the shelter,” said Tammy McGivern of Bridge To Home.

The dental clinic is held on the second and third Saturday of each month, McGivern said. Services performed are cleanings, fillings, extractions and full and partial dentures.
“We treat the homeless, low-income and veterans in Santa Clarita,” McGivern said. “It’s so rewarding for us to be able to help those that have served our country.”
On Tuesday, Bridge to Home officials received a phone call from a local dentist, McGivern said. This dentist had a patient in her office needing replacement dentures, and he couldn’t afford them.

“We spoke with the gentleman’s daughter. Her dad is a 96-year-old WWII veteran,” McGivern said. “He is on a fixed income and has no dental insurance. He accidentally threw away his dentures.”

They contacted the VA and were told that there is a charge for replacement dentures, a charge too high for this veteran to afford, McGivern said. He has an appointment at The Bridge to Home Clinic where we will start the process to get him his much needed dentures free of charge.

Most of the dentists bring their own assistant and hygienist, McGivern said, but if they don’t have one available, Bridge To Home has a list to pull from.

The homeless shelter is looking for volunteers for its dental clinic: June 13 & 20; Jul 11 & 18; Aug. 8 & 15; Sep. 19; and Dec. 12 & 19, McGivern said.
The contact for signing up or getting more information from is Andi Madden, and she can be reached at 661-414-2399.

“It is an honor and a privilege,” McGivern said, “anytime we can give back and assist those that have served our country.”

About Bridge To Home
Bridge To Home is about Transformation. Healing. Hope. Compassion. New life. Santa Clarita’s homeless population is growing and we must expand to meet this demand. More importantly – we must respond to change lives and see our hurting neighbors turn from homelessness.
If you follow the local news, you know that we lost a number of homeless individuals in Santa Clarita last year. One of our former homeless guests died in early April after she spent about two weeks on the street after the shelter closed. The night before she died she sought treatment at an emergency room and was allowed to sleep in her wheelchair in the hall, where she passed away. Life on the streets is not easy.
The plan has been set in motion to create an integrated approach to helping Santa Clarita’s homeless residents and assisting them to transition out of homelessness. NOW we need your help to get there!Our vision is to create a continuum of care, focused on providing comprehensive support services and strategic planning that pave the way for individuals to transition out of homelessness.
Key goals include the relocation of the temporary Shelter to a permanent location and further expansion of services that will provide comprehensive care, including: medical help, mental health assistance, job resources and placement, case management and access to affordable housing.Your generous donation can help us turn this vision into a reality and transform lives.