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DDNJ Foundation Grants Grandmother’s Christmas Wish of Having Her Smile Restored PARSIPPANY, NJ (DECEMBER 23, 2022) — The Delta Dental of New Jersey (DDNJ) Foundation and United Way of Northern New Jersey surprised holiday gift recipient Kim Errickson Wednesday night by granting her Christmas wish of having her smile restored. This was all due to a SMILE Transformation grant that Newark’s Rutgers School of Dental Medicine receives from the DDNJ Foundation to help underserved and underinsured patients receive free dental treatment. “What started as Kim simply asking to have her smile fixed has turned into her getting her life back, as she shared with us the other night,” said Dr. Lisa Gallucci, DDNJ Foundation Board of Trustee member. “Our mission is to help solve oral healthcare challenges that our neighbors and communities are facing. There are no words to describe the impact this will have on Kim and her life, and we are humbled to be able to help transform her smile and make her Christmas wish come true.” Nearly three years ago, the DDNJ Foundation awarded Rutgers Dental School via Rutgers University Foundation a $20,000 SMILE Transformation grant to help two young men have their smiles restored. The SMILE Transformation grant is intended to help uninsured and/or underinsured individuals with unique, costly dental issues have their smiles restored at no cost to them. In 2023, The DDNJ Foundation will be awarding another $20,000 to Rutgers, and some of those funds will be used to pay for the dental treatment that Kim will be receiving at Rutgers Dental School throughout 2023. Kim, a widow raising her grandson, Dominick, first told United Way of Northern New Jersey about her Christmas wish in this year’s Gifts of the Season video. United Way Gifts of the Season distributes more than 6,000 holiday gifts annually to children, teens, senior citizens, and adults with special needs experiencing financial hardship across northern New Jersey. “This gift of a smile will be life-changing for Kim, and we are grateful for the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation for their role in helping fulfill this holiday wish,” said United Way of Northern New Jersey CEO Kiran Handa Gaudioso. “Delta Dental is helping alleviate the financial strain that families like Kim’s face when choosing between paying the bills and participating in the joys of the holiday season.” In 2022, the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation donated more than $761,000 in grants to support organizations maintaining the oral and overall health of communities of over 14,000 residents in the state, including children, seniors, veterans, and those with developmental disabilities. About Delta Dental Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc. is New Jersey's leading dental benefits company, providing or administering coverage to more than 1.9 million people through contracts with groups and individuals in New Jersey and Connecticut. In Connecticut, Delta Dental of Connecticut, Inc. is a licensed insurer that writes dental and vision coverage on an insured basis, and Delta Dental of New Jersey administers self-funded dental benefit programs. Offering dental benefits since 1969, Delta Dental of New Jersey's mission is to promote oral health to the greatest number of people by providing accessible dental benefit programs of the highest quality, service, and value. We are a not-for-profit service corporation and, as a member of Delta Dental Plans Association, we're part of a network that provides national dental coverage to more than 85 million people. For more information, visit DeltaDentalNJ.com. About United Way of Northern New Jersey United Way of Northern New Jersey is a nonprofit organization fighting to improve life for families and individuals in our five-county footprint who are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) or in poverty. We believe when those who are struggling to afford the basics can succeed, all communities win. By focusing on Education, Financial Stability, and Health, we are helping ALICE now and in the long term. We do this through our initiatives that fill gaps in services, community partnerships, public policy work, and volunteer efforts. United Way of Northern New Jersey serves Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties as well as portions of suburban Essex County including the Caldwells, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Millburn-Short Hills, Montclair, Roseland, and Verona.