There Is Vitality About September ....

A Really Big Opportunity for IHS begins this month   

The Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) 2011 kicks off later this month, officially on October 1st.  Their website is as follows: www.cvc.vipnet.org. Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum, Inc. (IHS) is listed for the first time. Our CVC code is 3648.

For those who are not familiar with this marvelous opportunity in Virginia, the Campaign is the workplace giving program for state employees. State employees number into the thousands, and that includes those professionals who work for the University of Virginia.

Each state employee can start payroll deduction giving at any time during the year, but the big thrust for becoming acquainted with eligible charities begins at the end of this month. State employees have the option to give to a single charity or as many as four charities.

Although there are no local charity fairs for introducing new charities scheduled for Charlottesville, IHS founding members, Elisheva and T. Wade Clegg III, will attend the CVC Fair on October 4th at the James Monroe Building in Richmond from 10 AM - 1 PM.
 
If you or a friend or colleague is a Virginia state employee, tell a friend that this public charity, solely dedicated to serving the indigent population for temporary assistance with lodging, food and co-pays who come to the University of Virginia Medical Center, needs support to sustain our program as the "go to" charity when no other resources are available. Look for the IHS table and banner in the Monroe Building on October 4th, and allow us to acquaint you with this vital program to meet "unmet needs"  for patients and families who travel from all areas of Virginia to be served by the UVA Medical Center.  This charity is the only 24/7 resource available to UVA Social Staff. And we are all volunteers.
 
The theme for this year's Campaign is "Give from the Heart."  This slogan goes well with our saying which is often placed into full day meal packets, along with personal notes from those who assemble food packets:  "You don't have to know someone to be a friend."  Giving from the Heart is the only contagion we wish to see unleashed by those who can share with those who are in need.

Notes from Margaret Gorman, Meal Packet Coordinator

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church Unitarian-Universalist in Charlottesville held an intergenerational gathering this past Saturday, September 10th. They assembled 100 full day meal packets as their outreach project for the day's theme of "Cultivating Connections."

About twenty-five people from 5 years old to Seniors participated. They all expressed great satisfaction with this worthwhile and fun project. The children particularly expressed desires to eat some of the delicious foods, but they understood the greater need of the packets' recipients for the nutrition.

The cases of meals and individual meal packets decorated the front of the sanctuary for Sunday worship on September 11th. These meals will be delivered to the UVA Medical Center this week with best wishes and hope for friendship and comfort.  The church now has a display table and information sheet-shopping list for members and friends to use so that they can fill a large wooden box in the entry hall with donations that will go for creating more meal packets.

Other Helping Hands in the Charlottesville area this month ...

Also adding to the next delivery, a big thank you to The Red Roof Inn Sales Department, just across from the UVA Medical Center.  The hotel has a IHS meal packet display in the lobby and an invitation to guests to either donate food articles while in town for their personal staff assembly program, or donate funds directly to IHS. Last week I picked up 11 meal packets from Red Roof Inn. That's 11 full day meal packets of total nourishment! Thanks to Wilson and Lisa for your heartfelt involvement.

On September 12th Susan Erno called to ask where she could drop off a box of meal packets.  That was eight more complete full day packets. Susan learned of the program from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist. Thanks Susan!

High school student Angela L. used her money earned from baby-sitting to buy granola bars and juice that were used in meal packets recently.  Thanks Angela!

And finally,  thanks to this charity's most consistent monthly donors from day one, three years on-going. Cassandra and Norman Pope McElvy drove up from Asheville, NC last week for a few days with friends. They spent one afternoon at Sam's Club shopping for items for use in assembling meals. Their afternoon of very deliberate shopping for the charity resulted in items for almost 40 complete meals.  Thanks so much for your supportive visit. PLEASE COME AGAIN!

In Closing ...

To all of you who are helping us help others, thanks for giving from your hearts. If you or a friend needs our guidance sheet for making zip lock full day meals, and ideas to incorporate for having a really fun time, just send an e-mail to info@interfaithhumanitariansanctum.org.

Love ...  US