Friday, April 13, 2012

CVC 2011 - A Good Start for First Involvement

Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) 2011 Update

CVC 2011 Campaign PosterThis is a special e-mail for Virginia State Employees who offered support through payroll deduction.  However, it is indeed worth sharing with all friends who have shown their devotion and interest in this charity, which is now moving into its fourth year.  Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum, Inc. has CVC code 3648.

From date of application in April 2011 to participate in CVC, and enrollment by employees in October 2011, it has taken until April of 2012 to receive notice of how many participated and made contributions to IHS. Notice arrived only this past week that twenty (20) Charlottesville state employees enrolled to donate a total of $4,062.00 over this year.    

It was an important start for a first time All volunteer charity

IHS is dedicated to indigent patients and caregivers who are served at the University of Virginia Medical Center. Not well known even in the hospital itself, with very little opportunity to promote except through word of mouth, and twice monthly e-mails, it was so gratifying that twenty people were added to our efforts with needed contributions. Small stable contributions are always the basis for sustaining a charitable effort over the years to come, and this initial show of support is deeply appreciated.

IHS met minimum requirements and is now enrolled for CVC 2012!

If you wish to share this announcement by forward e-mail,  the opportunity for exposure  is so welcomed.  Other contact info is also listed below.  Our mission has not changed, only the addition of some unmet needs to assist the social staff in their efforts to further secure those being served.

Remember -- " IHS is constantly building a stronger safety net for those who come from great distances in need of temporary assistance with lodging, food, co-pay & prescriptions, and some very important needs in pediatrics, such as infant car seats, baby clothes and  rental fees for electric breast pumps for uninsured mothers."  IHS is a totally independent, non-religious, nonprofit, no stock, ALL volunteer, 501(c)3,  public charity - the "go-to" 24/7 responder when a social worker calls.







SPECIAL NOTICE for UVA Medical and University staff, and all other state employees. The Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) 2012 begins October 1st.  Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum, Inc. (IHS) is a CVC charity.  To support our work for lodging, meals, co-pay etc., designate your gift to CVC 3648.

 

 

Saturday, April 7, 2012

IT ALL ADDS UP! A Quick Look at March 2012


Meal Packet Program Items
Food awaiting packaging
Why so much emphasis on food assembly groups?


Most of this charity's categories of support, such as lodging, co-pay & prescription,  travel,  pediatric needs (infant car seats and rental of electric breast pumps), as well as food supplies to stock the kitchen at UVA Hospitality House are based on receipt of funds.  Money is received and that money purchases all of the above.
 
BUT ... the one program which depends almost solely on multiple group participation .... AND MOSTLY KIDS ... is the full-day meal packet program to secure caregivers inside the hospital without adequate funds to sustain themselves while monitoring loved ones.  Quite frankly, without  the exceptional attention by church classes, Scout troops, School clubs, and individual families, this charity could not have sustained this vital program which allows UVA Social Workers  to identify someone in their section of the UVA Medical Center who is hungry, and feed that person.

SO ... each opportunity to recognize these marvelous groups  is entered into these e-mails which are immediately placed in our blog site at http://www.interfaithsanctum.blogspot.com.  March is no exception.

Just looking back over the Month

286 full-day meal packets were delivered to the Office of Social Work during the month of March. This is the highest monthly need in three years. Normal sustained monthly need has been about 200.  

Throughout February  the lead group of kids for the program at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church Unitarian Universalist in Charlottesville delivered their production of 282 full-day meals on March 5th. Louisa Scouts and a single family from Ivy added 149  more to top off the month.  That's a total of 431 packets!  Each packet has food items valued above $5.00.   Please read the latest notes from Tina Schweikart and Margaret Gorman below.

NOW ... you can visualize how much is being produced by dedicated kids and how much is being used.  Hopefully, your personal group or family can pitch in


Louisa scouts assembling food packages
Notes from Louisa by Tina Schweikart


On March 27th Louisa Cub Scout Pack 183 and Louisa Boy Scout Troop 3 combined their efforts and assembled full-day meal packets for the Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS) Food Program. By working closely with Troop Master Harry Quarels, and Troop 3, cub scouts interact with older scouts forming a great bond in the community.  At the late March meeting, the boys packaged 119 complete full-day meal packets.

A meal packet begins with a gallon-size zip lock bag with utensils and a diversity of food items. Each packet consists of healthy options for breakfast, lunch & dinner, as well as snacks and side dishes ~ food for an entire day! Each item is "ready to eat" or requires only hot water or a microwave to prepare.

Supporting IHS and their efforts gives our cub scouts the opportunity to follow the Law of the Pack: "The Cub Scout follows Akela, the pack helps the Cub Scout grow, the Cub Scout helps the pack go, and a Cub Scout gives good will". Cub Scouts are able to give good will to the other people in our community.

The boys are always very excited about bringing in the different items and picking out the components for assembling the meal packets. There is a sense of pride among them that this one thing is making a difference for someone else. The partnership with IHS continues to be a wonderful experience. The Pack will again provide this community service in October.

A Note from Margaret Gorman

Cheng Family Delivers Food Packages to IHS
The Cheng family delivers food to IHS storage office
Last October I received an e-mail from Elaine Cheng, who lives in downtown Charlottesville. Elaine said:

 "I'm looking for a way to have my children help the community. I read through some of your organization's literature and I think putting together meal packages would be a good way to get my kids involved."

Fast forward to March 26, I received another note from Elaine asking where to drop off the meal packets. Project completed!  

Elaine related her experience with this,

 "I would like to take the kids (Alex 6 and Kate 4) when we deliver so they can help. It will help remind them why we are doing this and its effect. I have to say I did not do anything special for food shopping. I went to Krogers and just added the food item to my list. It was a lot of fun, but made my basket very, very full.  My husband and kids ran around the store finding the items we needed and loading up the cart while I did normal shopping. I asked Alex (my oldest) to write up a story and picture."

On March 31 the Cheng family delivered their 30 full-day meal packets to the IHS storage office at 105 Crofton Plaza at Lake Monticello in the Palmyra area. Elaine related that this was a wonderful family endeavor.

I thought I would relate this intimate experience, for it offers a opportunity to share how one family with small children can take time over many weeks, and become involved as they plan a strategy for buying, shopping  together, assembling together, and discussing the project and writing personal  notes of well wishes to recipients for each packet. Nice going ... Family Cheng!