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Our Mission#BeMoreLikeClaire strives to
carry on Claire’s legacy of love by providing funding and expertise to support initiatives that increase access to food, housing and health care; promote mentoring and leadership development; work to end relationship violence; and create a healthier environment. |
Our Story
Lt. Dr. Claire Elizabeth VanLandingham was a promising young Navy dentist when her life was tragically cut short on January 3, 2018. She was a bright light and had big plans to make the world a more fair, compassionate, and loving place for all people. #BeMoreLikeClaire is a way for those of us who loved her - and those who never had the pleasure of meeting her - to pool our efforts to continue in some small way the work that she most certainly would have done.
To know Claire was to know love in action. Her compassion, her ability to see the needs of others, her bravery, her joy, and her goodness were the natural contours of her short but meaningful life.
#BeMoreLikeClaire provides funding and expertise to support work that makes the world a better place for all, including access to food, housing and health care; mentoring and leadership development; prevention of relationship violence; and creating a healthier environment. We hope to bring people together to fulfill our mission, knowing that we can do more together than we can do separately.
To know Claire was to know love in action. Her compassion, her ability to see the needs of others, her bravery, her joy, and her goodness were the natural contours of her short but meaningful life.
#BeMoreLikeClaire provides funding and expertise to support work that makes the world a better place for all, including access to food, housing and health care; mentoring and leadership development; prevention of relationship violence; and creating a healthier environment. We hope to bring people together to fulfill our mission, knowing that we can do more together than we can do separately.
Thank you for joining us in honoring a life well lived. Her grandfather adapted the Robert Burns quote when he said,
"If there is another world, she lives in bliss. If there is none, she made the best of this."
"If there is another world, she lives in bliss. If there is none, she made the best of this."
The hashtag story
The hashtag #BeMoreLikeClaire was started by her dental school friends. No one is exactly sure who the first one was to use it, but they all agree that "It doesn't matter. [We’re] just happy people are using it to make the world a better place." As they learned about her death, they commented over and over again about what a bright light she was; they described her as loving, selfless, kind, gentle, joyful, and fun, with a brilliant mind focused on creating good in the world. They were inspired to take up the torch to do the work that she would not be able to do. They started using the hashtag on Facebook in their tributes to her as they were saying goodbye. As soon as a close high school friend learned about the hashtag, he bought the web domain name bemorelikeclaire.org for us to one day create a website to honor her legacy (and we did!).
Grant recipients
Our first recipient, the Douglas County Dental Clinic (DCDC), used #BeMoreLikeClaire funding to purchase a new van for school outreach efforts. This allows them to reach more children with their pop-up dental clinics (as seen the in photo) in local schools.
DCDC's Friendly Smiles is an outreach program that brings diagnostic, preventive, and operative dental services to area schools. Children who are uninsured that qualify for the free and reduced lunch program at school or children who have a medical card or commercial insurance are eligible to participate.
The Douglas County Dental Clinic extends its helping hands into area schools with the following on-site services:
DCDC's Friendly Smiles is an outreach program that brings diagnostic, preventive, and operative dental services to area schools. Children who are uninsured that qualify for the free and reduced lunch program at school or children who have a medical card or commercial insurance are eligible to participate.
The Douglas County Dental Clinic extends its helping hands into area schools with the following on-site services:
- Exams
- X-rays
- Cleanings
- Fluoride Varnishes
- Dental Sealants
- Fillings
- Extractions
Apply for a #BeMoreLikeClaire Grant
Our 2018 grant recipient has been selected and the process for this year is closed.
Check back as we get closer to 2019 for more information about how to apply for 2019 grants.
Check back as we get closer to 2019 for more information about how to apply for 2019 grants.
Stay Informed
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