Nov. 14-- Tulsan Ruth Blythe can't let go of an idea once it hits her.
After learning from a Tulsa World story about women at the Tulsa Jail reading books on tape to send to their children, she had to act.
"Those mothers are sitting in jail and trying to keep a connection with their children," she said. "We need to help take care of each other."
Blythe, wife of a dentist and former manager of a dental office, merged her interests of promoting oral health and offering a helping hand to people in need.
She applied for and received a $1,000 grant from the Foundation for Dental Health Education and the Alliance of the American Dental Association to provide dental kits to children of parents in jail.
Each kit contains a children's book about brushing, a toothbrush, toothpaste, flossers and some educational material.
Dental supplies were purchased at a discount from Burkhart, and she scoured online and in stores for the best deal on books.
She recently assembled 96 kits at her home and delivered them to the Tulsa Jail.
"When an idea pops into my head, I have to work on it and see it through," she said. "I don't know if I can continue it. But the jail chaplain was thinking this is a good start."
The kits are part of the Tulsa Jail's Storytime program, which began in 2007.
Volunteers work with incarcerated women to pick out a donated children's book and read onto a cassette tape. The tape and book are mailed to the child.
Jail chaplain Mike Hardgrove oversees the program and said the women in jail look forward to participating.
"They love it," Hardgrove said. "When I walk down the halls, they always ask, 'When are they going to come again?' Right now, we have books but need volunteers."
Because it is an all-volunteer program, the number of books sent to children each month varies from 10 to 65, Hardgrove said. Books stay with the children, so there is always a need for donations.
"The whole point is for kids to stay connected with their parents while their parents are here," Hardgrove said. "What is neat about this donation is that our community sees a problem, and they act on it. That's great."
Blythe said children look to their parents for guidance about daily hygiene and attitudes about doctor visits.
"Some adults, especially those in lower socio-economic groups, have had bad experiences with a dentist and may talk about it in front of their kids," Blythe said. "So the kids are then scared to death of the dentist.
"I hope with this they can take better care of their child's needs and of their own dental hygiene. It is so much better to take care of your teeth properly, get checkups and fix problems as they come up. Everyone benefits from this."
After getting the kits together, Blythe realized some mothers might need a little extra instruction. So she found an instructional DVD to donate to the jail for use in its educational classes.
"It's a connection I hope they'll make with their children," Blythe said. "It's all about coming together and helping each other."
For more
To volunteer or donate to the Storytime program, contact Tulsa County Sheriff's Office chaplain Mike Hardgrove at 918-596-8920.
Ginnie Graham 918-581-8376
ginnie.graham@tulsaworld.com
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