01 May Project Smile Marks 32 Years of Global Outreach
Project Smile, a non-profit dental mission, commemorates over three decades of providing free essential dental care and community support to children in Belize. Established in 1992 through a cooperative effort between the apostle dioceses of Georgia and Belize, this initiative exemplifies humanitarian service at its best and showcases international collaboration for the betterment of society.
Dr. Steve Acuff, the founder of Project Smile, together with his wife Montie Acuff, the organization’s treasurer, have been pivotal figures in this mission. Their outstanding work managing the operations, documentation, and patient records has ensured the initiative’s long-term impact.
Dr. Acuff, reflecting on the experience, commented, “I truly feel alive in Belize and it feels like the ‘real world’. Serving in Belize is a reminder of how most of the world lives.”
This year Project Smile operated with sixteen self-paid volunteers serving 200 patients in a mere three and a half days, demonstrating the effectiveness and dedication of the volunteers. The most recent trip to Belize took place in February 2024 which included two teams that keep the clinic running for two weeks, one from Savannah and the other from Ohio, echoing the true spirit of teamwork and continuity.
Dr. Roy Maynard of Georgetown Family Dental and his wife Dr. Crystal Williams of Georgetown Orthodontics and two others Georgetown Family Dental staff members Sojourner Mays and Shea Bryant, joined forces with a dental team from Ohio to undertake the Project Smile.
The couple emphasized that their work went beyond the dental world because, as Black professionals, they could serve as role models to their young patients. “I wanted the kids to see a role model and a dentist that looked like them,” Dr. Maynard said. “Dental hygiene is important, of course, but it is equally important to enable children to envision themselves in roles that work towards bettering communities and the lives of others.”
Project Smile embraces diversity, welcoming Dr. Maynard, the first Black dentist, Dr. name and Dr. Name, the first same-sex couple, and Dr. name and Dr. Name, the first interfaith couple. This is a testament to Project Smile’s deep commitment to include all communities in their shared mission to serve the children of Belize.
Together the Project Smile teams offer a holistic approach to children’s dental health including cleanings, fillings, extractions, and cavity-preventing sealants. Operating out of St. Mary’s School in Belize, Project Smile has six professional dental stations for children ages four to fourteen to receive free dental care.
Since 1992, Project Smile has freely given more than 22,000 dental treatments, started free lunch programs, and started the first computer lab in Belize.
About Project Smile
Project Smile is a prevention-oriented dental program for indigent children (ages 4 -14) started by Christ Church parishioners, Montie and Steve Acuff, which began in 1992 as a cooperative effort between the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia and the Anglican Diocese of Belize in Central America. Every year, various teams of volunteer dentists, along with auxiliary personnel, travel to St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Belize City where the team works in a permanent seven-chair dental treatment facility in an unused classroom at St. Mary’s School. Gradually, the program has expanded to meet other needs at the school, including providing hot lunches, playground safety and equipment, and even a computer lab.
About Georgetown Family Dental
Georgetown Family Dental is a locally owned and operated dental practice by Roy Maynard, Jr., DDS since 2016. The practice focuses on quality dental care for patients in Georgetown and the greater Savannah area. Georgetown Family Dental uses the latest technological advancements in dentistry to keep teeth healthy and strong. Dr. Maynard and his team’s mission is to provide a relaxing and understanding dental environment for patients.