Showing Up with a Smile

We often enter a space with expectations, and God often disrupts our expectations for something different and equally (if not more) amazing. This happened for UCSF’s chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists at last month’s Nail Day.

Kate Lovell is the AAWD Community Outreach Coordinator. She’d been praying about using her specific skill set for the Kingdom when BJM gave a presentation at Reality Church, and she started dreaming up an opportunity: get other dental students together to offer free dental screenings to the women at Nail Day.

“We’re an organization that exists to empower women,” says Kate. “We’re headed into a field that’s not typically dominated by females, so we were excited to partner with an organization that also empowers women to be who they want to be.”

When these ladies were unable to find a faculty supervisor at the last minute, they weren’t able to offer screenings after all. But they still showed up. Some served at the hospitality table, offering a warm welcome and a cup of warm coffee. Others picked up colored markers at the art table, and others pampered women with a pop of color at the manicure table. These volunteers didn’t get to use their skill set as dental professionals, but they got to use their skill set as human beings—still bringing smiles to many faces.

“We just had to show up and be ourselves,” says Kate. “It was so refreshing to be known just as myself first, and to offer that same love to the women there. BJM is a very accepting place. It doesn’t matter what background you come from or who you are. You can come in knowing that you’re loved, that people really want to get to know you.”

Want to be involved exactly as you are? Just show up and see what God does! Nail Day happens the second Saturday of every month, and you can sign up to volunteer here. If you have a specific skill set you’d love to use in the Tenderloin, please reach out! We’re always looking for new and creative ways to love our community.

When you donate to BJM, you’re enabling us to foster these compassionate, smile-filled spaces. Would you please consider contributing to our Summer Splash campaign? We’ve set a goal of $25,000, and we’d be thrilled to have you dive into ministry with us through financial support.