What is the Smile 4 Kids Campaign?
Each month of 2021, ConnectMed will feature a different cause close to our hearts and our mission that you can champion and support. Learn more about the cause, volunteer and/or give…and help us as we Smile 4 Kids!
Join ConnectMed and La Jolla, CA eateries, Dough Momma Pizzeria, Shore Rider and Cove House, as we bring smiles and support to San Diego kids with craniofacial conditions!
Our #Smile4Kids Cause for September: #acceptance4all!
September's #Smile4Kids Cause: #acceptance4all!
September is Craniofacial Acceptance Month and we are dedicating time and space to sharing information, resources and stories to promote acceptance for those with physical differences.
Physical differences and disabilities of all kinds should be included in conversations with youth about diversity and inclusion. This month, we are raising funds to bring guest speakers living with medically complex conditions to BOTH our own specific patient community and to San Diego schools and community youth events!
Our #Smile4Kids Cause for July & August: #EducateDontHate
July & August's #Smile4Kids Cause: #EducateDontHate
July is National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month! 💜
We were so inspired by Face Equality Week 2021 and its campaign to “Make Face Equality a Reality”, dedicating time and space for people with facial differences to describe ways to normalize their differences and create more inclusive and accepting environments.
We decided to continue the efforts of Face Equality International by launching our #EducateDontHate initiative this month. We hope to help destigmatize differences by sharing educational resources, personal experiences, and ways to get involved and provide support.
Help us offer positive, inclusive and educational acuities and resources! To give, simply text “smile4kids” to 76273.
A gift of $50 will provide new acceptance and diversity books for our Camp Cosmos kiddos
A gift of $100 will buy a Welcome Kit for each family at our December Camp Cosmos!
A gift of $150 helps bring appearance & disability activists, like Jono Lancaster and Phyllida Swift, as speakers to our families
June’s #Smile4Kids Cause: #Surgeries2Kids
June’s Cause: #Surgeries2Kids
As our medical volunteers in the US and Mexico continue to get vaccinated, we are starting to plan outreach trips and other ways to support surgeries for children under the care of our partners in Mexico. June’s Smile4Kids cause is #Surgeries2Kids, and we are raising $3000 to help cover the costs of surgeries for two young patients whose surgeries have been postponed during the pandemic….like Oscar, who needs left eye surgery to avoid blindness. His mom is a single mother to two kids and financially the surgery would be impossible without support.
May's Cause: #SuperHeroNurses
May's Cause: #SuperHeroNurses
Nurses Appreciation Week 2021 is May 6-May 12, and our Smile4Kids cause this month is NURSES & NURSING STUDENTS – recognizing, appreciating and investing in them! Still grappling with the Covid 19 pandemic, frontline nurses around the world are still struggling to care for an ailing population – and they will keep on doing until everyone receives the care they need.
As nursing roles expand in scope and nurses find themselves working in direct patient care or building healthier communities in a variety of other ways, there has grown an entirely new set of challenges for nurses to solve. Now more than ever, nurses are relied upon to use their unique skill sets to improve health conditions globally.
We spotlight some of the many nurses and nursing students who have volunteered with our teams and provided critical care to patients around the world.
We also share updates about the low-income nursing students from rural communities in Vietnam who have received ConnectMed scholarships to attend Hue University School of Nursing (Hue, Vietnam). With your generosity this month, we hope to continue this scholarship support.
Make a donation in the name of your favorite #SuperHeroNurse and we will send him/her a note of acknowledgment and a ConnectMed #OperatingWithCare mask & lanyard!
April's Cause: Counseling with Care
April's Cause: Counseling with Care
The American Counseling Association has named April National Counselor Awareness Month, which is “a time of advocacy for the profession and celebration of the outstanding efforts of counselors in myriad settings as they seek to facilitate the growth and development of all people.”
Our goals this month:
raise awareness about the range of care and services that counselors provide
AND
raise funds supporting a group of 6 youth with physical differences from the San Diego area to participate in a week -long horse therapy camp planned for this summer in partnership with Mustard Seed Ranch.
March's Cause: Operating with Care
March's Cause: Operating with Care
In honor of National Doctors’ Day (March 30) and Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 14-19), our Smile 4 Kids cause this March is #OperatingWithCare: raising awareness and funds to support our partner surgeons and other specialists providing charitable care around the world for low-income children.
We are also thrilled to launch our first in a series of 2021 logowear: #OperatingWithCare masks and mask lanyards. Masks are charcoal gray and made out of a super soft Tencel blend.
Make a donation of at least $30 this month and we will mail you a mask & lanyard combo! DONATE HERE
You can also make your gift in the name of a special doctor who is a Healthcare Hero to your child or family. Tell us why he/she is special to you in the donation form, and we will send him/her an acknowledgement and a mask with lanyard!
February’s cause is SELF-LOVE…which means appreciating yourself
and prioritizing your own well-being and happiness.
Our Camp Cosmos programs include discussions and activities that help young people with visible differences and their families figure out what self-love looks like to them. These strategies are critical to mental health, and are so important as we continue to navigate through these times of uncertainty, isolation, and the influences of social media.
You can support us and local restaurants by enjoying these delicious Smile 4 Kids Kits:
$10 from every Smile 4 Kids Kit benefits ConnectMed. These Kits serve 4 people and include a variety of Mexican dishes to build the perfect taco, cookies, 6 margaritas plus more! Lots of leftovers likely! Delivery for Shore Rider can be made through www.shoreridersd.com or through Door Dash
10% of every Smile 4 Kids Kit ORDER USING PROMO CODE: 4KIDS benefits ConnectMed. Enjoy TWO large pizzas and six free garlic knots! Delivery for Dough Momma can be made through www.mommalikely.com or through Door Dash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, and PostMates.
