PURPOSE: Through volunteers, grants and private donations, the
Community Dental Clinic provides free dental care to low-income,
uninsured adults in upper Pinellas County. It offers basic dental services
and routine care to help people manage their dental issues and prevent
serious health problems.
HISTORY: United with a shared vision to provide affordable dental services, the Salvation Army,
Clearwater Free Clinic and Arc of Tampa Bay collaborated in 2011 to establish the Community Dental
Clinic as a nonprofit, non-governmental facility that relies on professional and non-professional volunteer
services, strong civic partnerships and private donations to meet the ever-growing needs of the community.
Community support, grants, private donations and fundraisers like our Reds, Whites and Bites event
– chaired this year by Tampa Bay Magazine’s Margaret Word Burnside and Aaron Fodiman – enable the
Community Dental Clinic to extend help to more patients and expand services to take away the pain of
those in need and bring back their smiles.
FACTS: Without uttering a word, a person’s mouth can say a great deal about their well-being. Studies link
oral health to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, anxiety and other serious issues. Yet access to affordable dental
care remains the most critical social service need in Pinellas County. Today, the Community Dental Clinic
provides free dental care to more than 1,500 people while the demand for its services grows week by week.
Community Dental Clinic 1008 Woodlawn St. Clearwater, FL 33756 (727) 216-6155
PURPOSE: The St. Petersburg Free Clinic provides temporary
assistance for families and individuals in need of food, shelter and
health care.
HISTORY: The clinic fills the gaps for low-income individuals
who fall through the cracks of existing systems and services. The
Health Center offers care to individuals who have no access to
health care. Uninsured, and without Medicare or Medicaid, the
clinic is able to offer high quality care to community members. Likewise, it is the largest food distributor
in St. Petersburg, distributing food to 60 partner agencies, allowing it to feed 50,000 hungry individuals
per month. This past year, it continued to close the hunger gap by distributing over 4.7 million pounds of
food. Without this food, many community members in Pinellas County would go hungry. Additionally, its
transitional housing programs are helping to break the cycle of homelessness, helping 400 individuals last
year become self-sufficient.
FACTS: Ninety-three percent of every dollar donated to the organization goes directly to its programs.
St. Petersburg Free Clinic 863 3rd Ave. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 821-1200
PURPOSE: Ronald McDonald House Charities Tampa Bay creates, finds and
supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and
their families. Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay provides a “home-awayfrom
home” for children receiving medical care at nearby hospitals and their
families.
HISTORY: When a child becomes sick or injured, finding treatment is the most
important thing to a parent. When the best treatment options are not available at
the local hospital, families will gather their resources and travel to hospitals like
All Children’s, Tampa General, St. Joseph’s Children’s and Shriners so that their
child can receive the best medical care. What families often do not think about
until they arrive at the hospital is where they will stay and the associated cost.
Many parents think they can stay by the child’s bedside, only to realize that this
will be uncomfortable, and in some cases, impossible. In addition, many of these
families’ financial burdens are stretched to the limit with medical bills and time off
work. There is no payment required to stay at Ronald McDonald House. Families constantly say they do
not know what they would have done if the Ronald McDonald House had not been available for them. No
other charity in Tampa Bay provides this service to pediatric families.
FACTS: Ronald McDonald House Charities cares for the whole family, not just the sick or injured child.
Family is a critical component in a child’s healing; having a parent close by can lower blood pressure and
facilitate the healing process.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Tampa Bay 35 Davis Blvd. Tampa, FL 33606
PURPOSE: Besides sight-related causes, the Largo Lions Club meets humanitarian
needs by raising funds to fight measles, assist the disabled and hearing impaired.
Supporting youth working with its Leo Club, the Lions teach the value of serving
the community. Its “Spotlight Series” at Central Park Performing Arts Center in
Largo each winter provides the resources to continue to serve the community.
HISTORY: In 1925, Helen Keller challenged Lions to be “Knights for the Blind,”
a challenge the Lions continue to honor today by helping those in our community
to have sight.
FACTS: “We Serve” is the motto of the Largo Lions Club and Lions International. To
learn more, visit largolionsclub.org.
Largo Lions Club Meets 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. Visitors welcome.
Tailgators Sports Bar & Pizza Pub 13847-C Walsingham Road Largo, FL 33774 (727) 593-9593
Sheila Jasper of Tampa is clinical
coordinator for the Community
Dental Clinic in Clearwater.
A happy patient shakes the hand of
his medical provider at
St. Petersburg Free Clinic.
While pediatric patients receive medical
care at area hospitals, their family
members receive lodging and meals at the
Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay.
G. Rick Grisenthwaite of Perry, Georgia,
welcomes service dog Tinney as a new
member of his family, sponsored by the
Largo Lions Club in honor of longtime
member Carolyn Tinney, at left.
MARCH/APRIL 2018 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 57