Thursday, May 13, 2010

A Personal note from Rev. Elisheva Clegg

This will be a short note with a reminder of another permanent project to meet an unmet need on behalf of patients and families who are being served by the University of Virginia Medical Center. This charity is the net that is catching many of those most in need who are not served by any other source.

I’m sure you remember that emotional appeal about two weeks ago from Social Worker Teresa Bevins in the UVA Medical Center Pediatric Surgery Clinic. Teresa
stressed the need for food assistance for the parents who linger for weeks and months constantly by their babies as they await major surgery, including so many transplant procedures.

The toll on a parent who must divide their income while sleeping next to their child and also seeking to maintain a home with other children hundreds of miles from Charlottesville is simply unaffordable, and many of these parents simply go without eating because of lack of funds. Teresa made it very evident what was happening in her long e-mail which I posted as the last charity blog entry at http://www.interfaithsanctum.blogspot.com/.

The staff in pediatric surgery voiced their appreciation to Teresa, who called me about how much this support means. Then today, May 12th I received a follow-up to alert me that the staff has been monitoring the food supplies and that first delivery to cover about 3 weeks need is almost depleted. I have responded that IHS will make another food purchase tomorrow and deliver directly to the hospital on May 13th. The deal was: “Let us know when to resupply, and we will.”

Please know that we are personally allowing most couples this year to donate half of their weekend wedding fees directly to the charity for our services. They receive a tax deduction for the donation. We are limited as to how much we can personally allow from personal earnings, and I will be very open with you, that we have reached a limit. As you know, no one associated with IHS receives a salary.
Remember: $5 a month buys 5 meals; $10 a month pays for onenight in UVA Hospitality House; $50 a month allows a family with a child to stay for one night in a commercial hotel until there is room in Ronald McDonald House.

Someone asked if we have a church or a congregation, and T. Wade said, “Yes we do, but they don’t know us; they are those who come from everywhere to be served by a wonderful medical facility, and we are here to make sure they don’t go hungry, and never have to sleep in a car with their children.”

Your compassion with assistance to eliminate these situations of hunger and the stress of where to sleep is making such a difference.

Blessings…Elisheva