Thursday, December 22, 2011

First Grant could not be more timely!


On December 14th the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF) announced $337,300 in grants to 43 local nonprofits through the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in CACF. One of those 43 grateful recipients is Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS).  

 

Dave Matthews Band Group Photo
The Dave Matthews Band

IHS received a letter on December 13th from John Redick, President of CACF, with a check for $10,000.00 to be used for assistance with programs providing food for patients and families at the University of Virginia (UVA) hospital.

 

In his press release Mr. Redick had these comments: "The Dave Matthews Band's continued generosity to the people of this community is remarkable. Through the Bama Works Fund in CACF, established in 1998, the Band touched and improved the lives of many in our local area. The Community Foundation is deeply grateful for their support and for the good work of the deserving organizations which will benefit from the gifts being announced today."

 

For those not familiar with the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, CACF is a permanent endowment dedicated to improving the quality of life in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties of Albemarle, Greene, Orange, Louisa, Fluvanna, Buckingham, and Nelson. Since its inception in 1967, the CACF has provided over $43 million in grants.

 

For a complete list of the happily surprised 43 charities, please access the CACF website at  www.cacfonline.org.

 

What the Grant means for the IHS Food Program

 

This grant will support the IHS full-day Meal Packet Program for the Social Office workers within the main Hospital, and for the first time, allow for a consistent monthly food delivery for the UVA Hospitality House (HH). It is anticipated that the grant will assist with about 60% of our food purchases for both food projects for 2012.  

 

The full-day Meal Packet Program, under the guidance of Margaret Gorman, is based on community assembly sessions by church classes, scout troops, schools and even neighborhood work parties. The cumulative collection monthly from various groups allows for this charity to maintain the 100-150 meal packets delivered every two weeks. The grant will allow us to secure production of meal packets, especially during summer breaks when most groups are on vacation.  

 

UVA Hospitality House (HH) Food assistance is now secure for 2012

 

We learned of the potential loss of the Hospitality House's only consistent food grant of $400 monthly several months ago. Anticipating this loss, we appealed in our grant request for funds to instigate a consistent monthly food program. This grant arrived just in time to pick up a significant food load at HH. We will actually purchase food and deliver to HH every two weeks. First delivery was last week. With the grant we were also able to secure the Christmas meal for those guests at the House during this holiday period.

 

Thanks to the Dave Matthews Band for the music ... and their exceptional generosity!

 

On behalf of all of us who seek to make a difference for those long distance patients and caregivers with limited income who come to this community for treatment at the UVA Medical Center, this fantastic contribution could not have arrived at a more opportune time. We do not operate on the basis of seasonal needs ... the need for lodging, food, co-pay, prescription and travel assistance is never-ending; however, this particular food grant is that unexpected boost which has lifted our spirits even higher.

 

To All of those faithful donors to this charity and this new friend of the charity, we wish you and yours the very best of holidays with family and friends.

 

Blessings .... The Volunteers of Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum

 

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Santa Came to Town and Did NOT Let Us Down!

Some siblings can't be separated and really enjoy sharing.
Last Saturday was a special opportunity to support a business friend of IHS.  Knowing our special relationship with the giving community, and how that influences a particular fellow who delights in giving, Marjorie Adam of The Marjorie Adam Team, a Charlottesville Realtor,  requested that we seek out a special early visit by Santa. And guess what?  HE CAME!

Marjorie wrote this short note below and provided the following photos to share with readers of this blog. It was a lovely opportunity for Marjorie, her guests and their children, and Santa said he really likes coming to Virginia.
This kid is fixated, but not on Santa

"December is the time of year when our team reflects upon the past year and how fortunate we have been, and we look to continue to give back to our community. My favorite part of giving back is combining fun and family with giving. We truly value and appreciate our past clients, friends and business partners and we enjoy spending time with them. This year, we decided to have Santa come to our house to take photos with our friends and clients, saving them a trip to the mall. We of course did not charge for this, but we asked our clients to make a charitable contribution to IHS. It was a win-win. Our clients got a wonderful visit and photo with Santa, we got to spend fun time with them and IHS received some much needed and much deserved help. We highly encourage people to combine a fun get together with giving, and we thank Santa and his IHS helpers .


Sincerely,  Marjorie Adam,  REALTOR,  
www.marjorieadamteam.com"


'Twas The Night Before Christmas

When a girl needs time to think ...
Santa can just wait
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads,
And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap -

When it's really cozy curled up in Santa's lap,why say anything?

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below;
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

Sisters bring a lot of joy and smiles when meeting Santa
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
"Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer and Vixen,
"On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Donder and Blitzen;
"To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
"Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys - and St. Nicholas too:

And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
This was no little girl; she's one of the Adam Team members!
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:
He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
And he look'd like a peddler just opening his pack:
His eyes - how they twinkled! His dimples: how merry,
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

This little guy never stopped smiling and said very little.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face, and a little round belly
That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laugh'd when I saw him in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.



Happy Holidays from
the Adam Team
family
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle:
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight -
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

-Clement Clark Moore

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

It's All About a Cummulative Collection of Giving

We have many people to thank for food donations recently, and it's a pleasure to continue to recognize groups, families and individuals in this never-ending challenge. It is our hope that readers of this very intimate blog entry will recognize what "cumulative" really means.

J.T. Henley Middle School Concludes "Make a Difference Day" Project

Our friends at J. T. Henley Middle School in Crozet, VA recently sent over 21 meals. This concludes their remarkable "Make a Difference Day" project, coordinated by Amy Effland.  This was an ambitious project, and Amy had to organize it quickly. It called for a lot of communication and flexibility and involved many people from different parts of the school.  In all we received 322 meals from Henley.  

Local Family Helps Out

We also want to thank Amy Effland and her family, John, Ryan and Connor, for the 25 additional meal packets that they assembled at home. That's a very nice surprise to come home from work and find three large boxes of meals sitting on the porch. They are much appreciated and will be go over to the Medical Center soon.

Monticello District, Boy Scouts of America

Boy Scout Roundtable Charlottesville
Boy Scout and Cub Scout leaders with meal packets they assembled at their monthlyh Roundtable in Charlottesville, VA
Our local district of the Boy Scouts of America holds a monthly "Roundtable" meeting for leaders. Last December, 2010, I introduced the meal packet project at Roundtable.  I developed them using my training as a Boy Scout Leader and backpacking experience with the Scouts. In backpacking and in assembling IHS meal packets the goal is compact, non-perishable food that is simple to prepare, filling and nutritious.
 
This year, 2011, my husband Mike arrived at the December Roundtable to find a meal packet assembly line set up.  Scout leaders told the group about how their youth had helped over the past year and talked about their goal of continued assistance. Everyone had the opportunity to fill bags with food and Mike came home with 50 meals and extras items that I combined with supplies from my stash to come up with a total of 53 meal packets.

Thank you so much to the Monticello District of the Stonewall Jackson Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. Special thanks to Peggy Ives, Roundtable Commissioner, and the other people who shopped for and laid out the meal packet supplies.

Over the past year the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts from several counties have been our greatest supporters.  They have given us hundreds of meals, and we are very appreciative.

And finally ...It's nice when your friends and family support your hobby

I want to thank my colleagues, Linda and Andrea, for thinking of IHS when they were shopping at Sam's Club. I found cases of breakfast bars, peanut butter crackers, applesauce cups, etc. sitting at my desk at work one morning before Thanksgiving.  I bought microwave entrees at the store and we had everything else to assemble meal packets in my stash of extras at home.  My family put together 24 meal packets after dinner on Thanksgiving Day.

The above people produced 123 full-day meal packets. This represents our minimum need every two weeks at the UVA Medical Center to make sure that no caregiver or outpatient from out of town for many days goes without food. It is estimated that this quantity of very deliberately assembled nutritious items is valued at no less than $615.00. These packets are meant to sustain for the day!

The need for meal packets will not go away soon. We so appreciate your assistance in helping people. I hope this cumulative review will allow others to consider how it comes together, and join in this most worthy of projects. Thanks to all of you.

Blessings,
Margaret Gorman, IHS Meal Packet Program Coordinator