About five years ago, George Birdsong found one new use for the peanut stockpile. "Started in about 2017, we started realizing that [Operation Smile] had children coming for cleft lip operations, but they were not healthy enough to be operated on. I read that on a bulletin, and I thought, 'We've got a product in the peanut business that maybe that can solve that,'" Birdsong said. Birdsong Peanuts began supplying peanut inventory to the manufacturing company "MANA" that would create peanut butter and add powdered milk, vitamins and minerals to create a "Ready-to-Use Thereauputic Food" peanut paste-like substance, also known as RUTF.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — 17-year-old Jackson Doane knows firsthand the difference cleft surgery and care can make. "I was born with a bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate," said Doane. "I've had 11 surgeries throughout my lifetime." Now, he's using his story to make a difference with Operation Smile.

University of Florida Shands Plastic Surgery Resident and longtime student volunteer, Dr. Haley Oberhofer, appeared on WCJB 20 News Morning Edition in Gainesville, Florida, to talk about her participation at the upcoming Operation Smile International Student Leadership Conference.

This quarter, we're proud to partner with Operation Smile, an organization that helps children born with cleft conditions to better breathe, eat, speak and live lives of greater quality through surgery and comprehensive care, including speech therapy, dental care, psychosocial treatment and more.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Operation Smile is hosting a free summer camp for rising 7th and 8th graders. The “World of Medicine” camp will allow students to explore all areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — For the past 40 years, Operation Smile has sent female volunteers across the globe to help children and families in need. Now, leaders with the organization are creating more of an initiative for women to join their effort. Operation Smile hosted a "Women Empowerment" seminar Wednesday morning. There, former Norfolk Public Schools Division principal, Barbara Higgins, spoke to the crowd over a video chat.

Stacie Goodrich, registered nurse at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City and Operation Smile volunteer, has followed in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother to pursue a career the entire family shares a passion for.

International Nurses Day is celebrated annually on May 12. As one of the largest global surgical nonprofits with more than 6,000 active medical volunteers, Operation Smile is taking this opportunity to highlight some of the many nurses who volunteer their time to help others around the world. This includes Bryan Manalo who was recently featured on Good Day Chicago.

WASHINGTON (7News) — Dr. Neda Kalantar, a Northern Virginia pediatric dentist, a wife and mom of two boys, encourages people to volunteer, no matter how busy they may be. She herself has spent 25 years volunteering with Operation Smile, a non-profit organization that provides free surgery to children with cleft [lip and cleft palate]