Country of Residence
United States
Age
17
Project title
HopeWorks for Veterans
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
HopeWorks for Veterans is a youth founded non-profit bridging the gap in dental care for veterans who lack access to comprehensive VA dental benefits. I mobilize dentists, specialist, dental labs and community partners to donate advanced dental treatments like implants and dental crowns to veterans at no cost to them.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
www.hopeworksforveterans.com
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Growth (We’ve moved past the very first activities and are beginning to have consistent weekly or monthly impact)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
I grew up in two worlds: dentistry and military service. My mother is both a dentist and an Airforce officer, so I saw how much dentists could transform someone's life, but I also grew up understanding what it means to serve. My 'Aha!" moment came when I learnt that being a veteran does not automatically mean getting free dental care at the VA. A veteran has to be at a 100 % disabled rating to qualify for free dental care at the VA. That was shocking to me and also unacceptable! At first the problem seemed overwhelming. I was a teenager and I couldn't place an implant or manufacture a crown. Then I realized I was looking at it the wrong way. I knew dentists who wanted to give back, dental companies and labs with resources and veteran organizations that knew people who needed help. what if I could connect them? That became Hopeworks. I began approaching dental professionals and community partners and asking them to contribute what they could. Some said yes and some said no. The ones who said yes gave me hope that I dint need to wait until I was older to make a difference. I just needed to build a bridge.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Millions of Americans have served our country, and most civilians think that the veterans get free healthcare through the VA. This is not entirely the case. Only veterans who have a 100 % disability rating get free dental care. This leaves a very large number of veterans without any way of getting dental care especially for expensive treatment like implants or crown. Dental disease and missing teeth can affect eating, speaking, health, employment and self-confidence. One veteran i spoke to said he doesn't go out anymore to meet friends because he has not front teeth and is embarrassed as he thinks people look at him funny! I take this personally. I grew up in a military family that spreads across continents. My great great grandfather fought in World War 1 as an Indian soldier under the British Imperial army. My grandfather was an army officer and combat veteran in India. My mother now serves in the US Airforce. I don't believe someone who has served our country should have to live with dental pain or missing teeth simply because they fall into a gap in coverage. HopeWorks closes that gap so we can help veterans whom existing systems do not reach.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
HopeWorks turns generosity that already exists in the dental community into actual treatment. I have built a network in which each partner contributes what they can. Veteran organizations like the VSO, help connect us with veterans who need care. Dentists and specialists donate clinical treatment. Dental laboratories and supplies companies can contribute materials. I do some fundraising to help offset the cost of supplies some of which are quite expensive even after discounts. HopeWorks brings all the pieces together to make these dental events happen. We focus on treatment that is often difficult to obtain through traditional free care events. Screenings and emergency dentistry are important but veterans with badly damaged teeth may need implants or crowns . Hopeworks has already facilitated 30 implants for 18 veterans along with same day crowns on 6 Veterans and multiple cleanings. This is valued well over $150,000. The most important aspect of this model is that it does not require Hopeworks to build clinics everywhere. It can be reproduced by creating local networks of dentists, laboratories , veteran organizations already present in the communities.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
HopeWorks began as an idea, but veterans are already receiving treatment. To date we have facilitated 30 free dental implants for 18 veterans as well as 6 same day crowns and 25 dental cleanings at NO cost to veterans. But one thing I have learnt is that the value of an implant cannot be measured in dollars. Missing teeth can affect how someone eats, speaks or feels about smiling. Seeing veterans receive treatment they cannot afford has been the biggest joy in my life. But what is even more exciting is that our first 30 implants also provide proof of concept. Now I want to turn that proof into a model that can serve many more veterans.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
HopeWorks is different because we are not trying to solve an expensive healthcare problem only by raising more money. We are redesigning how existing resources are connected. Traditional free dental events often focus on screenings, cleanings, fillings or emergency procedures. These services are valuable but advanced restorative treatment such as implants and crowns is expensive and requires multiple visits and lab work. Hopeworks specifically works to unlock these higher value services for veterans who otherwise may not be able to afford them. Our innovation is a distributed donation model. Instead of one organization paying for an entire procedure different parts of the dental ecosystmen contribute what they already have- dentists contribute expertise and chair time, specialists contribute advanced treatment, labs can contribute restorations and companies can contribute materials and supplies. HopeWorks offsets any needs by fundraising and coordination of all these moving parts. We don't create new resources- we activate resources that already exist. This also makes HopeWorks scalable. Expanding does not require constructing a HopeWorks clinic in every city. Almost every community already has dentists, specialists, laboratories, veteran organizations . Our goal is to create a framework that connects them
How many people are on your team?
2
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
As founder, I set Hopeworks' direction, build partnerships and recruit people to turn ideas into care. The lead dentist, Dr Puneet Sandhu , provides dental expertise and helps answer questions related to dental care for the patients.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, my goal is to provide 200 implants and 200 crowns and 1000 dental screening and cleanings and other restorative care. I also want to move HopeWorks from a successful local model towards a replicable system. To do that I plan to recruit more dentists , laboratories and dental supply companies and deepen our partnership with veteran serving organizations . Second, I want to document the HopeWorks model so another community can reproduce it. Thirdly I want to expand our educational partnerships with dental assistant schools and hygiene schools so students can learn while expanding access to care under appropriate professional supervision. This creates another generation of dental professionals who see service as part of their careers. Finally, I want to improve how we measure outcomes. Not only dollar value but how many veterans were served and providers and communities reached.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I have learned that telling people to " help veterans" is not enough. People are much more likely to act when I give them a specific way to contribute. When I approach a dentist, I can ask, " would you donte one implant " A lab can donate a restoration. A dental assistant can volunteer one event. One manageable commitment becomes part of something larger. I also use our results to show people that their contribution matters. When I say that our network has provided 30 free implants to 18 veterans and crowns to 6 veterans worth $150,000, Hopeworks is no longer just a teenager's idea, it is evidence that collective action works . I have engaged dentists, assistants, lab owners/managers and community partners. I also want young people to see that they don't have to wait until adulthood to lead. My goal is to make more changemakers, not just more volunteers
