Love at Work

In the summer of 2007 I went on a two week dental service trip to an orphanage in Mexico City by the name of Casa Ecuador. The host of the trip and president of the Love at Work organization was Neil Millman, a man I admire very much, who has dedicated his life, together with his wife Margarita, to helping these unfortunate children.

I was excited to be able to serve in a capacity that would provide insight of how I can affect the lives of others as a dentist. The first day at the shelter there were two little four year old girls named Miridiana and Blanca who just came up and started hugging my leg. I began to realize that these children weren’t just starved of hunger, but also of attention and love. It was good to know that we were helping them. More than just fixing their teeth I felt like we were providing a positive role model for them and giving them the attention that would help them know that society is not always filled with rejection. I was also excited because I went there with the expectation that I was going to interpret Spanish for the dentists and that I would be able to assist in the process, but I actually got to do a lot more than that. By the end of the week I had done twenty fillings, two extractions, five injections, an exam, and a large number of cleanings. This became a priceless experience for me. Until then I had always wondered what I would feel like as a dentist. Now I feel empowered to know that dentistry is a career that I can enjoy.

Here is a little more information from Neil's website.
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Love At Work is a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing abandoned children. Street children are adolescents found the world over who do not enjoy the blessings of normal adolescent development. Many come from dysfunctional families and broken homes where they have been exposed to violence and extreme neglect. Most have been abused in one way or another and develop unhealthy emotions. Working street children begin working at a very early age in order to support their families, thus depriving themselves of education and personal development. Other children are so traumatized by life at home that they prefer to take their chances by living on the street. But on the street they are victimized by predators and persecuted by the police and society. Crime becomes their only option for survival.

There are an estimated 100 million street kids in the world. Forty million inhabit Latin America. In addition to exposure to disease, injury, and depravity, many children are exploited, recruited into crime gangs, used as slaves, or forced to become child soldiers. Needless to say, the life of a street child is often short and very wretched. Without outside intervention, street children are incapable of helping themselves.

As a geographer who spent many years traveling the world and observing the conditions of poverty, Neil Millman decided to devote his efforts to helping the poorest of the poor. He has found street children to be highly resourceful and resilient individuals who can go on to a worthwhile life when provided the opportunity and incentive to do so. Each year Love At Work conducts humanitarian service missions to Mexico City to assist shelters for street children. Dentist and dental students have been very effective in providing dental care to adolescents and homeless parents residing at a shelter called The Ecuador House. Residents of the facility are entitled to services provided by The Rebirth Foundation. These include drug detoxification, counseling, medical attention, access to school, and skill training. The program has been highly effective in getting traumatized children off the street and into the care of those who can provide for their rehabilitation.

Casa Ecuador and other shelters stand in need of constant funding to upgrade their facilities, extend their services, and provide help to a greater number of needy children. Love At Work needs caring individuals with warm hearts and strong hands to provide a vital key to the transformation of sick and at-risk adolescents. The name of the organization says it all. Free information is available to anyone who wants to learn more.

For more information you can visit Neil's website or email him at: stochastic45@hotmail.com