When you visit the Union Gospel Mission you see people who don't have many reasons to smile. Some are homeless, jobless, mentally ill, most without family or resources. Others are children without the simple basics that most children take for granted.

Union Gospel Mission provides a place to rest, hot food, and a few necessities. It also provides a medical and dental clinic that serves the community. Volunteer dentists and dental students from the University of Minnesota Dental School and the St. Paul District Dental Society provide basic dental services, like filling and extracting teeth. Twice a week, Union Gospel Mission clients receive free dental care to alleviate their pain and improve their overall health.

Years ago Kyle Edlund, then a dental student, received special recognition for his work in providing free dental treatment for those in need at the Union Gospel Mission. Today, Dr. Edlund serves Union Gospel Mission as a University of Minnesota Adjunct Clinical Instructor, supervisor and provider. He is among the 150 dentists and 250 dental students who give generously of their time and receive so much satisfaction in return.

For more information on this important work, visit www.ugmtc.org.