The Togetherhood Initiative is a community health and well-being collaborative aimed to enhance the overall health of individuals and families in Collier County. The Collier County Dental Outreach Team provides prevention-focused oral health services to children at a community-based dental outreach site in Immokalee as part of this initiative. Immokalee is an inland rural community with a high population of seasonal farmworkers living below the poverty line, and many children at high risk for dental problems. The Togetherhood Initiative Community Dental Outreach Program provides no-cost preventive dental treatments to children directly in the community in which they reside, eliminating financial or transportation barriers.
In addition to preventive dental care, the Collier County Dental Outreach Team provides oral hygiene education for children, parents, and caregivers to enhance oral health literacy. Education is provided in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner through a diverse team of dental auxiliary members, including a “promotora” or community oral health worker who provides family-centered oral health education in parents’ primary language. The dental outreach team also partners with Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Meals of Hope to offer food pantry items and present a pathway to nutritional and oral heath wellness.
The Togetherhood Initiative Community Dental Outreach Program is made possible through the generous support of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival.