Melanie Lauro of Manalapan has started a charitable project called Brush with Greatness. Photo courtesy Stacie Lauro
March 18, 2008
A group of children at an Israeli orphanage are learning about the importance of dental hygiene, courtesy of a young Manalapan girl.
Melanie Lauro, 15, a sophomore at Manalapan High School, has collected 200 toothbrushes — in addition to a previous effort that yielded 400 — from area dentists and will send them to the General Israel Orphans Home for Girls in Jerusalem.
She initiated the project, which is called Brush with Greatness, last year, and her donations have been gratefully received by the young residents of the home, which houses girls from age six through their early teens, according to Miriam Sloman, director of the orphanage.
Receiving the toothbrushes emphasizes “the need for them to take good care of their teeth each day,” Sloman said. “It makes them very happy to know that there are people who, although far away, are thinking of them.”
Melanie’s project began when her mother, Stacie, a dental hygienist, read a book about an Irish woman who started a dental assistance program in Vietnam. She discussed the story with her daughter and the two decided to create Brush with Greatness.
“I loved the idea,” said Melanie. “I wanted to give something back, and share with others.”
Mother and daughter sent letters to members of the dental community in the area asking for toothbrush donations.
A teacher at Shalom Torah Academy day school in Marlboro which Melanie and her twin sisters, Courtney and Chelsea, 12, all have attended, suggested that Melanie’s gift be sent to the General Israel Orphans Home.
“She told me that the Jewish community takes care of its own, here and in Israel,” Melanie said. “She said that the Israeli girls in the orphanage are my sisters in Jerusalem. I was always given the best possible dental care, and I wanted to help in any possible way so that each girl in the orphanage has the same tools to care for their teeth as I do for mine.”
Her former teacher paid a visit to her Israeli family last year and brought the first batch of donated toothbrushes with her. This year, Melanie and her mother are hoping to find another traveler to Israel who can deliver the toothbrushes to the orphanage in Jerusalem.
Healthy lives
Enabling the girls in the home to maintain their dental hygiene is a beneficial act that can help ensure that they will have healthy lives, Stacie Lauro said.
“Maintaining your health starts when you’re young,” she said. “In the 22 years that I’ve been a dental hygienist, I’ve become very aware that good dental hygiene can reduce the chance of heart attacks and other health crises. That’s one reason why Melanie’s project is so important.”
Melanie said she plans to continue the project until she heads to college. At that point, Courtney and Chelsea, currently seventh-grade students at Manalapan-Englishtown Middle School, will most likely take over the reins.
Stacie and her husband, Joseph, an electrical contractor, are proud of their daughters’ concern for others’ welfare.
“We’re exceedingly proud of our children,” Stacie said. “We’ve tried to instill these values that will stay with them throughout their lives. We’ve taught them how important it is to respect and care for others.”
Melanie, who has been a cheerleader since age eight — first at World Cup All-Star Cheerleading in Freehold and now at her high school — thinks there’s a connection between cheerleading and the spirit of tzedaka.
In cheerleading, she said, “you learn about structure and discipline, along with respect for the other girls and your coaches. These are things you can use to make your own life better, as well as the lives of others who may be less fortunate. I’ve learned from sports, my teachers, and my parents that if you’re lucky enough to have something good in your life, the best thing to do is to share it.”
- Comment: comments@njjewishnews.com