While some may prefer to volunteer from the frontlines, Loyola students and alumni took a more behind-the-scenes approach at service that helped improve the smiles of over 800 New Orleans residents.

Loyola volunteers helped temporarily transform Mardi Gras World into a pop-up dental clinic in partnership with the American Dental Association’s Mission of Mercy, on Saturday, Nov. 2. The clinic provided free dental care to New Orleans residents the following day.

The Jesuit day of service gave Loyola alumni and student volunteers an opportunity to benefit the community. Volunteers made the dental clinic on Sunday, Nov. 3, possible with work such as unpacking equipment and putting together packages that included oral hygiene products and health-routine information for patients.

Heavy lifting and unboxing was a breeze, chemistry biology senior Hiba Elaasar said. She attributed the enjoyable atmosphere to the interactions between students and alumni.

“It was honestly just really inspiring to see how quickly everything came together,” Elaasar said. “It took a great deal of teamwork, and it was an experience everyone at Loyola should get the chance to be a part of.”

The Louisiana Dental Association said that dental care valued at approximately $380,000 was given at the clinic.

Associate Chaplain for Service and Justice Programs Joe Deegan said that he believes Wolves on the Prowl volunteers contributed to the success the dental clinic.

“A priority for a Jesuit institution is the person who the students become, more than what they learn in the classroom,” Deegan said.

Laurie Leiva, assistant director of alumni relations, said that she believes the work volunteers did on Saturday was a part of the clinic’s contribution to the community.

“While they didn’t directly interact with members of the community on the day of the dental clinic, they did make it possible for the clinic to take place,” Leiva said.

Local chairwoman for the American Dental Association Maria Burmaster said that nearly 800 patients received cleanings, extractions, dentures and restoration for no charge, free of charge at the clinic.

“Some of them were very quiet, because I think a lot of them were afraid of dental treatment, but once you’d start talking to them, they were very pleasant and very thankful,” Burmaster said.

Burmaster is a part of the Loyola Alumni Association and was on the 2013 Wolves on the Prowl planning committee.

The mission of the philanthropic weekend “was to increase the awareness of the need for dental care,” Burmaster said.

Burmaster’s relationship to Loyola and her position with the American Dental Association allowed her to take part in both managing the volunteers and serving at the clinic. She even tended to a few patients on Sunday.

“I also had to take an impression for a man who had a new denture made,” Burmaster said.

Deegan and Leiva agreed that the weekend was a success for Loyola students, alumni and New Orleans as a whole.

“Any opportunities that we have as a university to provide students with meaningful contacts with the community will enhance their learning and help them to develop, hopefully, a sense of compassion and a desire for solidarity with people who have been disadvantaged,” Deegan said.

Nia Porter can be contacted at [email protected] 

Editor’s note 11/8/13: A paragraph featured in the print version of this story was omitted from the website due to it’s repetitive nature.