This post is the first in a series of partner profiles where we’ll highlight organizations that SwagCycle partners with to make sure that the branded merchandise that we help keep out of landfills ultimately ends up in the hands of individuals in need. Follow along with us to learn more about our dedicated partners and the causes they serve.
We’re first highlighting Project Stretch Dentistry, a non-profit that provides dental services to underprivileged children in the United States and abroad. SwagCycle recently helped a publicly-traded pharmaceutical company donate more than 1,000 individually wrapped toothbrushes from an obsolete patient kit to Project Stretch, and these donated supplies are being used both in the United States and abroad.
Founded in 1988 by a small group of dental professionals, Project Stretch’s mission is to provide vital and preventative dental services to disadvantaged children in communities locally and around the world, to fund projects for special needs children and adults, and to develop and provide educational materials for the training of dental staff.
Project Stretch is based in Massachusetts, and their outreach has treated children around the world—in U.S. locales like New Jersey, Georgia, New Orleans, Alaska, and Massachusetts, and internationally in Venezuela, Lithuania, Chile, Ukraine, Cape Verde, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Their projects have included organizing sustainable preventative programs such as fluoride rinsing in school and dental health education, providing preventive dental care like dental cleanings and fluoride treatments, and providing care for the acute needs of children in dental distress.
International Partnerships
In one long-standing partnership, Project Stretch has been serving the village of Teacapan, Mexico for more than 15 years, supporting an annual dental clinic and sending teams of dental professionals to provide free dental care to the children in the village. Since their work in the village began, Project Stretch has seen the dental health of the Teacapan’s children improve greatly.
Project Stretch also works with Worthy Village, a nonprofit based in Panajachel, Guatemala, to provide dental care to the children in surrounding villages.
Supporting Dental Health Locally
In 2020, travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic led Project Stretch to focus on their local programs. One of these programs involved donating dental supplies like toothbrushes and toothpaste to a Worcester, Massachusetts program that supports people in need.
We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Project Stretch as they work to positively affect oral health worldwide. You can learn more about Project Stretch at projectstretchdentistry.org.
Have obsolete branded merchandise you’d like to keep from becoming waste and have matched with a good cause like Project Stretch? We can help! Learn more about how SwagCycle can help your company or organization repurpose, recycle, and donate your obsolete branded merchandise.