Daniel R. Shea, DDS from Shea Family Dentistry, Contributes to U.S. Marines Toys For Tots Literacy Campaign
Summary
Case in point: In addition to his most recent contribution, Shea Family Dentistry has participated for the last 7 years in Operation Gratitude’s Candy Buy Back Program, shipping treats and toothbrushes to deployed troops.Now, add this to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center of Education statistics whereby 44 million adults are functionally illiterate leads one to ask is there a connection to illiteracy and poverty?Due to Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Shea moved his family to Baton Rouge, LA and took a full time teaching position with the also displaced LSU School of Dentistry.Now, add this to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center of Education statistics whereby 44 million adults are functionally illiterate leads one to ask is there a connection to illiteracy and poverty?Furthermore, connect this with the Bureau of Justice statistics that about 41% of inmates in the State and Federal prisons and local jails had not completed high school or its equivalent; as well as persons with poor households at or below the poverty level had more than double the rate of violent victimization, as well as higher rate of violence involving a firearm compared to persons above the Federal Poverty Level, thus leading one to ask: Is there then a connection to illiteracy, poverty and crime?This is what motivated Dr. Daniel R. Shea and hundreds of attendees of this Gala to participate, which ended up ensuring that 110,000 children would receive not only toys for Christmas, which in itself is a great gesture of humanity, but also the gift of literacy and the hopes of a brighter future for these children in successfully participating in society.A little information about Dr. Daniel R. Shea; he graduated from Louisiana State University’s Dental School in 1994, and served as a General Dental Officer in the United States Air Force Dental Corps from 1994 through 1997.