DELTA DENTAL PLAN OF NEW JERSEY EMPLOYEES DONATE GIFTS TO LOCAL SHELTER FOR MOTHER'S DAY

PARSIPPANY, NJ (May 30, 2001) – To celebrate Mother’s Day, Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey (Delta Dental) collected gifts to benefit temporary residents of Samaritan Inn of Franklin, NJ. Employees generously donated new household items and toiletries such as pillows, towels, sheets and lotion sets, all of which were hand delivered to Samaritan Inn on Friday, May 11^th and will be given to mothers residing in the shelter when they relocate to permanent housing.

"We frequently receive donations for children at our shelter, but often the mothers are forgotten," said Lori DeBaun, director of Samaritan Inn. "Delta Dental’s generous gifts will make their Mother’s Day at our shelter more pleasant. The wonderful new bedding and household items will be stored for them here until the women are able to secure permanent housing and can make a fresh start."

Community outreach is an integral part of Delta Dental’s charter. Over the years, it has provided financial and personnel support to organizations such as Special Olympics New Jersey, instituted groundbreaking philanthropic initiatives like the much-needed PANDA program to prevent child abuse and neglect, and spearheaded the promotion of oral health and dental education. Through the Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey Foundation, the dental benefits carrier also supports community clinics, educational institutions, and hospitals.

"Active participation in community programs is extremely important to everyone at Delta Dental," said Walter Van Brunt, president and CEO. "The success of these programs is a direct result of our employees and corporate philosophy which encourages outreach to our less fortunate neighbors."

Samaritan Inn, located at 48 Wyker Road in Franklin, is a private, non-profit organization which provides emergency and temporary shelter to Sussex County residents who are homeless. A portion of the shelter funds are provided by the County through the Grant In Aid and Social Services for the Homeless programs. Shelter is provided in owned and leased apartments, as well as hotels and motels.

Samaritan Inn operates a 24-hour emergency hotline service, staffed by trained volunteers, which enables people to receive shelter at any time of the night, on weekends, and on holidays. Other services include a food pantry, case management services, and information and referral services. The organization helps people locate needed items such as clothing and furniture, as well as negotiate with the social service network.

In addition to attending to emergency basic needs of the homeless, Samaritan Inn also distributes funds each year for "prevention" services. It will, on occasion, pay a portion of a family’s rent bill, as well as their electric or heating bill in order to prevent eviction and subsequent homelessness.

Samaritan Inn continues to seek new funds to expand its temporary shelter capacity, both for families as well as for singles. It continuously searches for ways to improve and intensify the comprehensive program of social services available for homeless people in the shelter. For information on making a donation to Samaritan Inn, contact Lori DeBaun, director, at (973) 827-8911.

Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey, Inc., is New Jersey’s leading and largest dental benefits carrier, providing coverage to more than one million people through contracts with employers in New Jersey and Connecticut. The Delta Dental Plan system is a national network of independently operated, not-for-profit dental service corporations specializing in providing dental benefits programs for employee groups throughout the country. For more information visit us on the Web at deltadentalnj.com.