New Dugoni School Outreach Serves Filipino Community and East Bay Children

Students and faculty volunteers from the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry found new ways to serve the community by participating in two new outreach events in August.

The Dugoni School co-hosted an oral health outreach table at the Pistahan Parade and Festival, the largest celebration of Filipino art, culture, dance, food and music in the United States. The festival was held Aug. 12-13 at Yerba Buena Gardens. Volunteers included leaders from the school’s Student Community Outreach for Public Education (SCOPE) program and Christian Medical and Dental Association chapter.

“The Pistahan Health Fair event was an amazing opportunity for us to serve our immediate community alongside volunteers from UCSF’s Filipino Dental Student Coalition,” said Alini Agnes, DDS 2024. “Most of the event volunteers from our school – including myself – come from a Filipino background, so this event was a meaningful way for us to give back while also learning and gaining an appreciation for Filipino culture. During the event, we strived to increase oral health literacy and discussed how oral health affects systemic health. We also had the opportunity to discuss lifestyle changes with the various people who visited our station.”

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Also that weekend, volunteers from SCOPE and the Pediatric Dentistry Study Club participated for the first time at a back-to-school resource fair for the Hayward Unified School District. Backpacks, supplies and health resources were given to children and families, who also enjoyed fun activities throughout the day.

Volunteers also provided oral health information, gave demonstrations, answered questions, and linked children and parents to local dental clinic resources.

“Visiting and volunteering at the Hayward Backpack Giveaway was an absolutely splendid experience! I am so thankful and grateful that I was able to lead and help throughout the event and had such a wonderful group of supportive staff, faculty and volunteers to work with,” said Dr. Fotima Jaludi, IDS 2024.

“The event turnout was spectacular and it was interactive, organized and very hands on. We were able to spread oral health education and awareness through fun demonstrations that both the children and their parents participated in equally! I really felt that we were giving back to our community in a fashion that would make a positive impact on these families’ lives and their oral health.”