Toothbrushes for the PDX Homeless

There are nearly 4,000 homeless men, women and children in the Portland area that struggle to feed themselves on a daily basis. When in that sort of situation, spending money on  toothbrushes, toothpastes and floss drops down on one's list of priorities considerably. As a result many homeless individuals suffer from incredibly poor oral hygiene, developing cavities, gingivitis and periodontal disease. If left untreated these individuals will experience severe pain, the need for very expensive surgical extractions of their teeth and a diminished level of self confidence which can make it even harder to become employed in the future. One way to prevent all of this from happening is to provide these individuals with the tools they need to take care of their teeth, which, as pre-dental students is exactly what my good friend and I have been trying to do. We have recently been supplying individuals of the Portland area with toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss out of our own pockets. Our goal is to provide every homeless individual in Portland with the tools necessary to keep their mouths clean, but we simply cannot afford to do this without your help.  I am reaching out to ask for your assistance to improve the lives of those in our city who are less fortunate. Today we went to hand out suppplies at the Portland Rescue Mission soup kitchen. Everyone was so incredibly appreciative of what we were doing. One lady in particular expressed how she had wished someone had done what we were doing years ago and showed us the lone tooth she had left in her mouth. She was thankful that with the tools we were supplying, we could help ensure that no one would have to go through the pain and suffering she had. But we have most definitely not run out of enthusiasm and passion for our cause. With your help we can help those in need before it’s too late. 











Financial breakdown:

4,000 toothbrushes @ $.22 each = $880

4,000 toothpaste tubes @ $.19 each = $760

4,000 Floss cartridges @ $.18 each = $720

4,000 Ziplocs for proper storage @ $.11 = $440

Amazon prime subscription for free shipping = $100

TOTAL: ~$2,900.  Any leftover money will be donated back to a charitable organization in our community.

About us: 
Our names are Hayden Meriwether and Vikrant Nigam. We both recently graduated from the University of Oregon with degrees in Human Physiology. We are also both aspiring dentists and love to give back to our community.