Most of us who pursue dentistry do it because we care about improving quality of life for others. Dr. Dunn is no exception. In fact, much of his life outside Lake Baldwin Dental is all about outreach and being of service in the world. For those of you who aren’t already aware, the Dunn family are part of a group mission in Ethiopia called Haddis Ministries. Dr. Dunn’s wife, Jeanie, is one of the organization’s founders and makes regular visits to Ethiopia to deliver much-needed aid and support to several organizations there. Their goal is to support and empower orphaned and vulnerable children and their families as well as strengthen their communities. With support for their health, educational, and nutritional needs, they have been able to help many kids and families.
The Dunn family and Haddis team visited Ethiopia this July, which is the country’s rainy season. True to form, the trip was cold and wet, but they didn’t let the weather dampen their spirits! Visiting the precious kids supported by the ministry kept everyone energized and feeling great.
Joined by a group of 10 teenagers including two of their own daughters, Dr. Dunn and Jeanie made the rounds to several of the organizations supported by Haddis Ministries to deliver care packages and check on the sponsored children. The kids were so happy for the visit and the letters filled with love from their sponsors. The teen volunteers did an amazing job stepping up for the work and connecting with the kids in the program!
Dr. Dunn also got to check back in with Erzik, who you might remember from a post a few years ago. On that previous visit, Dr. Dunn helped him overcome a speech impediment caused by a tongue tie. A simple surgery could fix the problem, but due to limited access to dental care in the area, the surgery would have been out of reach for Erzik without Dr. Dunn’s help. He was more than happy to make the trip and Erzik was thrilled with the result! This summer, they had a very happy reunion. Erzik now speaks with confidence and boy has he grown!
As of this year, Haddis Ministries is now fully recognized as a non-profit organization in Ethiopia! By partnering with donor advocates here in the States, Haddis has been able to help over 300 kids thus far.
MORE KIDS WILL BE ADDED VERY SOON AS THE LIST OF HUNGRY/NEEDY CHILDREN IS LONG IN ETHIOPIA!
If you’d like to get involved to help, visit haddis.org to find out more!
