Students with the UConn School of Dental Medicine American Student Dental Association (ASDA) teamed up with a non-profit organization in Hartford, KNOX, to help spruce up the city of Hartford.
For the past three years, student volunteers have been working with the Hartford nonprofit to plant a variety of plants to place throughout the city. This year, 25 students planted a total of 179 planters that were distributed to local businesses, parks, and city sidewalks.
Sarah Hyman, a second-year dental student and lead organizer for the service day, reflected positively on this year’s volunteering event. “It was a beautiful morning and we had a great turnout,” Hyman said. “This is our third time volunteering with KNOX and we hope to volunteer with them again this fall. We always enjoy getting to partner with such a dedicated organization.”
“It was wonderful to see the members of ASDA working together with the members of the Greater Hartford Green Team to put together these planters for the city of Hartford,” Hyman continued.
KNOX, Inc. works to preserve Hartford’s green space, making it accessible to all. The nonprofit organization currently maintains 21 community gardens to provide fresh produce to the community, educate others on environment and farming, and plants trees throughout the city.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to be involved in the community,” said Dr. Donna Paolella, associate dean for admissions and ASDA advisor at the School of Dental Medicine.
The students received a community service grant from ASDA, which allowed them to buy sunscreen, breakfast, drinks, and snacks for all of the volunteers. The remainder of the grant was used to make a donation to KNOX to help fund their mission and future service activities.
