City Union Mission

Alumni Paying It Forward

Through  Philanthropy

Victor Wood (DDS ’33)
Dr. Wood graduated from the Kansas City-Midwest Dental College in 1943, completing the program in three years. He served three years as a dentist in the U.S. Navy during WWII and then returned to his home town of Nixa where he opened his own practice and worked until 1973. As a regular attendee of the Recognition Breakfast at the Midwest Dental Conference and a consistent annual giver to the Rinehart Foundation, Dr. Wood and his wife of 73 year, Lavinia continue to show their love of dentistry and desire for others to have the same experience. Dr. Wood is living proof that consistent giving makes a big impact over time. In recognition of his years of generosity, Dr. Wood was awarded the Rinehart Medallion, named for Dr. Roy J. Rinehart, dean of the School from 1928-1957. All donors are important to the school and we couldn’t continue to our work without alumni like Dr. Wood.

Through Generosity

Emily Day (DDS ’02)
Dr. Day has continued to give back since her graduation. As she explains, “I was a recipient of alumni sponsored scholarships each year in dental school. I was so thankful for these generous scholarships. It is my pleasure to now be a donor and pay it forward for a current student.” We hope this legacy of giving will continue to inspire today’s students and these important traditions will live long into the future.

Through Service

Mele Nunemaker (DDS ’77) and Jeremy Bowen (DDS ’07)
Dr. Nunemaker and Dr. Bowen served as the co-chairs of the Missouri Mission of Mercy held last summer in Independence, Mo. Their time and dedication helped to treat 1,513 patients in two days by organizing 1,100+ volunteers, including 200+ dentists as well as hygienists, assistants, medical staff, students and technicians (many of whom were also alumni). The Missouri Mission of Mercy is a large-scale dental clinic that provides free oral healthcare to patients of all ages who cannot otherwise afford access to care. It is outstanding alumni like Drs. Nunemaker and Bowen who continue to show the best of the UMKC School of Dentistry and give a glimpse into what great alumni graduate from this school.

Lyndal G. Holmes (DDS ’65, MS ’76)

Dr. Holmes has been actively involved with City Union Mission in Kansas City, Mo., since he established its dental program 12 years ago. “For 92 years,” Dr. Holmes said, “the City Union Mission has sheltered the homeless of Kansas City without receiving any city, state or federal funding; instead, a community of donors enable the Mission to provide shelter for hundreds of men, women and children each night and provide 1,000 hot meals a day.” Dr. Holmes is especially grateful to all the oral health professionals who have donated their time and services to treat patients referred to them from City Union Mission. “I have written hundreds of letters asking my dental colleagues to volunteer to not just restore a mouth but to help restore the self-image of a whole person. Some said they would accept one patient a year, some said one patient a month. I was astounded when one dentist said, ‘As many as it takes.’ Also, Mallow-Tru Dental Studio has generously done all our lab work (free of charge) for 12 years. Together the dental community has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of care that has helped people turn their lives around. If you’re in need of a mission, I invite you to contact me (holmeslg@umkc.edu) and join our Mission.”

Through Volunteering

Michael McCunniff (DDS ’83) and Eric Gottman (DDS ’04)

Dr. McCunniff serves as chair of the Department of Dental Public Health and Behavioral Science and Dr. Gottman serves as Team 2 coordinator. While they wear many hats and are invaluable to the School in their faculty capacity, they also volunteer their time to lead our Recent Grads committee and are essential to the student experience.

This committee engages current students in order to encourage young alumni participation. Drs. McCunniff and Gottman do everything from welcome students at Orientation, sell baseball tickets outside the canteen at lunch, organize the recent grad party at MDC, direct traffic at Alumni Association sponsored Practice Management Sessions, to leading our student volunteers at Pouring from the Heart. They give of their time so that students will have fond memories and will move forward leaving a positive legacy of UMKC out in their communities.

By Giving Back

Since its inception in 1881, the UMKC School of Dentistry has been contributing to the dental profession and the community of Kansas City and beyond through teaching, clinical care, research and service. Here is a (2014–2015) statistical snapshot of how that mission is being fulfilled today:

  • $606,950 in uncompensated care provided by the School
  • 38,316 complimentary toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste distributed
  • 913 volunteer hours donated
  • 150 underserved children received free dental care from the Give Kids a Smile program