Students in the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine’s Academy of General Dentistry chapter collected 2,350 food items for Our House in a service project that far exceeded their original goal, chapter president Terry Miller said.

Miller, a member of the dental school’s inaugural class, said the idea for the food drive grew from the group’s desire to make a meaningful contribution to Central Arkansas as the state’s first dental school.

“As future healthcare providers, we felt a responsibility to support the well-being of the broader community – not just in the clinic, but in ways that address basic needs like food security,” Miller said. “Our House does vital work for families experiencing homelessness and hardship, and partnering with them felt like a perfect opportunity for our student body to live out the school’s values of service, compassion and community engagement.”

Once the drive began, Miller said participation quickly grew thanks to the group’s motivation and a friendly class competition. Students also solicited donations from family members and hometown supporters, helping the total climb rapidly.

“We received incredible encouragement from faculty and local dentists – especially Dr. Brian Skinner of Skinner Family Dentistry in Sherwood, who generously donated Visa gift cards for our top contributors,” Miller said. “His support added a fun level of excitement and definitely helped push us past our original goal.”

The donation will help strengthen resources available to families served by Our House.

“We hope this donation eases some of the burden on Our House as they continue their essential work – especially during a season when the need is often at its highest,” Miller said.

Miller said top contributors included inaugural class members Brianna Carmony, who serves as chapter treasurer, Noah Pruitt and Sarah Thompson going “above and beyond.”

“Brianna contributed nearly a quarter of our entire total on her own,” he said. “Noah showed up with multiple truckloads of donations, each one bigger than the last. And Sarah brought in more boxes of ramen noodles than I’ve ever seen in one place.”

Miller said AGD executive officers — Vice President Erika Bittinger, Secretary Ravdeep Warar, Membership Engagement Chair Nour El Ammar, D1 Representative Karlee Carmony and Brianna Carmony — helped promote the drive, organize donations and keep classmates motivated.

Dr. Burke Soffe, founding dean of the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine, said the initiative demonstrated the values the school seeks to instill in future dental professionals.

“This project reflects the heart of who we want our students to be — compassionate, community-minded leaders who understand that dentistry is about more than clinical skill,” Dr. Soffe said. “Their dedication to serving families in need shows the kind of impact they will make throughout their careers.”

“One of the biggest takeaways was seeing how powerful it is when our class comes together with a shared purpose,” Miller said. “It reminded us that our role as future dentists goes beyond clinical care — we are part of a community, and we have a responsibility to support it.”

Above: Students in the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine’s Academy of General Dentistry chapter collected 2,350 food items for Our House in a service project that surpassed their original goal. Pictured from left are Brianna Carmony, treasurer; Karlee Carmony, D1 representative; Nour El Ammar, membership engagement chair; Erika Bittinger, vice president; Terry Miller, president; and Ravdeep Warar, secretary.