The term “good corporate neighborhood” is used by a lot of companies to market themselves to their communities and customers. But I always wonder how many put that phrase into action.
Richmond Dental and Medical, a division of Barnhardt Manufacturing Company based in Charlotte, NC, did just that recently when they made a 3-year commitment to support the School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill with financial and in-kind contributions.
Through a grant by the NCFI/Barnhardt Foundation, Richmond is giving the dental school $75,000 to support the Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC) clinic, which provides comprehensive dental care to underserved populations in the area for 25 evenings every year. The students, with help from dental school faculty, run intake, triage, x-ray or digital imaging, examinations, and perform cleanings and extractions. For emergencies and complicated cases, faculty members take the reins. Richmond’s in-kind contributions will include donations of supplies to support student-run service trips to Asia, Central and South America, and Africa.
And in case you were wondering, this kind of generosity isn’t unusual for Richmond and Barnhardt. Since the company was launched in 1895, Richmond Dental and Medical—an award-winning, critically acclaimed manufacturer of dental and medical products and supplies (including cotton balls and pellets, braided cotton rolls, sponges, face masks, and dispensers)—has been invested in building and strengthening its surrounding communities.