In 1975, the couple returned to Kettering where Dr. Welfare opened a practice. Within two years, Dr. Welfare moved his general dentistry practice to Bellbrook, where he rented space from Dr. Tom Henderson for 32 years until his daughter joined the practice.
The couple has three children. Heather Welfare Slacker is a 1990 Centerville High School graduate who works in the Mental Health Department of Goodwill/Easter Seals Enterprises and lives in Miamisburg with her husband, Doug, an electrician and the couple’s two children.
Jeremy is a 1994 CHS graduate who works for Dayton Reliable Filter Systems and lives in Miamisburg with his wife, Becky, and their three children. Dr. Buckley is a 1999 CHS graduate who lives in Kettering with her husband, Tim, a student at the University of Dayton Law School.
Meanwhile, Kathy was a stay-at-home-mom and a community volunteer. She currently volunteers as a court appointed special advocate for children in the courts. She is a member of the Incarnation Catholic Church Social Outreach Group and a volunteer with the Catholic Social Services Holiday Program that delivers gifts to needy members of the community.
“The equipment was there and we didn’t want to sell it,” said Kathy Welfare, whose husband’s staff of Christy Blank, Tina Reed, Connie Clark and Becky Welfare, moved with him to the new office. “We wanted to donate, but I hadn’t been able to find someone to donate to. I even Googled ... to find someone. We finally rented a storage unit to hold everything until we could find a place for it.”
Dr. Welfare mentioned the couple’s dilemma to one of his dental patients and the problem was solved. The patient, Dick Bauman, is a volunteer for the Greenebucs Chapter of Ambucs, and when he mentioned it to Lee Ravlin, another member of the group, who also attends Lutheran Epiphany Church in Washington Twp., a connection was made. Ravlin contacted Bob Wheeler of the church’s Global Mission Team and he called the Welfares and the Orphan Grain Train, a nonprofit Lutheran organization founded by the Rev. Ray S. Wilke, a Lutheran minister from Norfolk, Neb., who realized the need to transport items after making a missionary trip to Latvia. Orphan Grain Train picked up the dental equipment in August and is now in the process of delivering it to Madagascar.
“The nice thing is that everyone was served,” said Dr. Welfare, who hopes to get the word out that there is a way to donate supplies and equipment. “If I’ve got something that is gently used and would serve a purpose for someone else, it’s nice to know that there’s a way to get it to there to serve somebody else’s need.” For more information about donating equipment, or supplies, e-mail Wheeler at rwheelerjr@hotmail.com, or visit the Orphan Grain Train at: www.ogt.org
Contact this columnist at (937) 432-9054 or jjbaer@aol.com.
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