A Thousand-Hour Pledge to Community Care

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Celine Dumitrascu. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Celine Dumitrascu, a young woman from Scottsdale, Arizona, is already making big waves in her community and beyond. Her most impactful venture is the founding of the Oral Health Primer nonprofit, a 501(c)(3) organization driven by a mission to combat oral disease among underserved youth. Through partnerships with schools and social centers, Celine has delivered essential oral health education to over 400 underserved children, creating awareness and promoting prevention. So far she has spent a remarkable 650 hours on the creation, printing and delivery of health educational materials and posters tailored for varied age groups. Now, as the founder and president, she continues to dedicate about 10 hours a month to creating bilingual materials and conducting monthly presentations for 20-30 new children, constantly refining the program with hands-on activities, quizzes and take-home flyers based on participant feedback.

Celine’s compassion extends deeply into the healthcare sphere, particularly for sick children. At Phoenix Children’s Hospital, she has volunteered 300 hours, demonstrating a multifaceted approach to support. A key member of the teen council, she has raised $2,500 for cancer research and art therapy. Beyond fundraising, she provided direct comfort by hand-making and donating 70 blankets for hospital use, as well as monthly items for the Mobile Medical Unit. She still devotes about three hours a month to the teen council, participating in various fundraising events and coordinating the collection and donation of items to shelters, proving her consistent dedication to their mission.

This young volunteer’s effort is also a fixture in her local library and an assisted living home. At the Arabian Library, Celine volunteered 200 hours for initiatives like the Summer Reading Program. For the past three years, she has taken on the crucial role of social media coordinator, spending an average of three hours a month planning, filming and editing Instagram reels to promote the library and the Teen Advisory Board. Her efforts help plan and host events for different age groups, increasing community engagement. Simultaneously, she has invested 650 hours at Hayden Villa Assisted Living Home, where she offers vital, hands-on support.

Celine’s volunteering at Hayden Villa included participating in 150 arts and crafts sessions and leading 250 enrichment and physical activities, bringing joy to residents. She now dedicates 10 hours a month there, assisting caregivers with taking vital signs and feeding residents, and continues to lead enrichment and physical activities for a group of 10 residents. Her total hours spent in service—hundreds in multiple locations—and constant willingness to get involved make her an extraordinary example of outstanding volunteerism. Read more about why and how she founded her nonprofit organization.

Tell us about your volunteer role.

I volunteer to make a difference in children’s lives by improving their oral health literacy, and, indirectly, their overall health and self-confidence. Based on feedback on what different age ranges already know or don’t know, I create and update bilingual educational materials like large wall office flyers, small bathroom home flyers and PowerPoint presentations on the importance of oral health, common oral diseases, preventive measures and accurate oral hygiene measures. I reach out to and coordinate with schools, libraries and social centers to organize monthly educational, entertaining and engaging activities for children of various age groups. I give presentations and provide hands-on sessions to illustrate how to perform oral hygiene correctly using dental plastic models. At the end of our sessions, I give the children samples and flyers for further reference so they can continue to use the oral hygiene techniques they learn, daily.

Why is this issue so important to you?

Good oral health grants individuals not only essential functions like pain-free eating and breathing, but also the ability to socialize and work with confidence—all things that contribute to their overall well-being. Oral diseases are considered one of the most widespread diseases of humankind, with a prevalence that is greater than any other non-communicable disease. It is known that higher levels of oral health literacy are associated with improved oral and general health. I decided to increase oral health literacy through education, targeting the populations with the greatest need: children and teens from underserved communities.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

In the summer of 2023, after my freshman year of high school, I participated in Johns Hopkins University’s Global Health Leaders Conference. There, I learned about prevalent topics in public health, epidemiology and global health. Inspired, I chose to give a presentation, in a portion of the conference called the “Student Speaker Series”, on global disparities in regard to oral health. When crafting my presentation, I learned that oral diseases were recognized as both a major global health burden and a public health challenge. It turns out that 45% or 3.5 billion people have oral diseases globally, and three out of every four people affected live in low- and middle-income countries. They are very prevalent in my family’s home country, Romania, where 75% of children have dental caries and 64% are untreated.

Thankfully, oral diseases are very preventable, especially with proper and early education. To assist in these efforts, I launched a pilot study to improve oral health in underserved communities, aiming to decrease the burden of oral diseases and other non-communicable diseases in Arizona and Romania. Oral Health Primer was born from that! I have founded and expanded a grassroots non-governmental organization that educates underserved youth about oral health and oral disease preventive strategies.

What are your long-term plans or goals with the organization?

Next, I plan on partnering with pediatric offices that serve uninsured or low-income populations to routinely and consistently proliferate dental education on a larger scale. In the near future, I will start fundraising activities and events to make oral hygiene supplies available year-round for those residing in shelters and community centers. In college and beyond, I plan on joining advocacy groups and volunteer organizations that work to create affordable dental care for all children.

What’s the most rewarding part of your work?

I always start my educational activities by assessing the children’s basic level of knowledge, and I re-evaluate it at the end. It is extremely rewarding to see how children improve their level of knowledge on oral health and oral hygiene measures, and how empowered they feel at the end. I especially love connecting with the children at our sessions and learning about their previous dental knowledge as well as their aspirations, family and, occasionally, insecurities. Being able to form relationships with our audience members is incredibly rewarding.

What have you learned through your experiences volunteering?

I’ve learned that giving is more powerful than receiving. I improved my capacity to listen deeply, communicate effectively, connect with others and understand different perspectives. I believe that volunteering has also made me significantly more empathetic and confident in my leadership abilities, qualities that I will carry through my future endeavors, career in the dental field and entire life.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

Change grows from ordinary people choosing to act; even small efforts turn into visible results. When you get involved with a cause you care about, you learn more about it, meet the people affected and see where your skills can make a difference. You also gain practical experience, like coordinating events, fundraising and advocacy—all of which strengthen the communal effort. All of this will benefit not only yourself, but also people directly involved and the greater community. Progress depends on many people contributing their time and energy, and you can be the first to prove that your cause is an important one.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

Begin by identifying a cause or issue that genuinely interests you. In my case, it was the prevalence of oral diseases. Think of what you can do to assist with and mitigate these issues. A great first step is researching already-existing organizations that you can join. Consider your availability, age, location, transportation and other important factors. Then reach out to community centers, schools, libraries, food pantries, donation centers, hospitals—anything you can think of—and ask how you can help. Start with clear, small commitments that you can keep, and then build from there.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Celine? Find local volunteer opportunities.`