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New Mexico Dental Journal, Fall 2015
Volunteering—Opportunities Are Everywhere
By Linda J. Hixon, DDS
M
y desire to volunteer was
sparked during high school.
My h i gh s chool h i s tor y
teacher, a recent Peace Corps worker in
Africa, would hold impromptu language
lessons before class. I became obsessed
with seeing places where I would need
to say, “Get the cow out of the kitchen.”
After college, I entered the Peace Corps
and built toilets in the Philippines for
four years. While there, I also taught
local government officials how to write
grant proposals, helped improve local
water sources, and worked with water
and fishing co-ops. The last tasks weren’t
in my job description, but they asked me
for help.
I went to dental school in my 40s.
Shortly after graduation, Hurricane
Mitch devastated Honduras and I trav-
eled to the area with a church group to
offer free dental care in a parish. One
man came to me in tears saying, “I prayed
for you to come–my teeth hurt so bad.”
I was further hooked on volunteering.
When you are open
to volunteering, it’s
amazing how many
invitations are issued.
I’ve travelled to the Dominican Republic
with students from Creighton Univer-
sity. I’ve handled solo missions in Kenya
and Tanzania at the invitation of a local
Anglican bishop. I’ve taught dental assis-
tants in Sri Lanka with Dental Care
International (DCI) and performed free
dental work while teaching local women
basic chairside procedures. I repeatedly
travel to India, Nepal, Cambodia, and
Kenya with Global Dental Relief (GDR).
The Philippines will always be my second
home and every three years I visit in May
during mango season and celebrate my
Pilipino mother’s birthday. My son often
assists during the missions and some-
times my goddaughter, who is also a
dentist, helps as well. The missions vary
in scale from basic extractions and gross
debridements to fully-equipped mobile
units as provided by DCI and GDR.
Whatever assistance we can provide,
there is always a need.
“ I prayed
for you
to come.”