Tuesday, January 28, 2014

A Quick Review of Meal-Making Groups in 2013

Not to be forgotten - Boy Scout Troop 36 in Charlottesville, VA - December Delivery

Boy Scout Troop 36 made 48 full-day meal packets for IHS as their service project during their December 2013 lock-in which was held at the First United Methodist Church in Charlottesville. Twelve (12) scouts and leaders spent the night, also competing in broomball, completing merit badge requirements, and hosting Cub Scouts in an open house.

Troop 36 meets Mondays at 7 PM at the First Methodist Church. For more information on Troop 36 contact Don Kimpel at DLKimpel@gmail.com. A Special thanks for their  annual holiday donation. Assistant Scout Master, Don Kimpel, also delivered 50 meal packets in December 2012.

Looking back at ALL those who held special assembly sessions for meal-making in 2013
  • Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church Unitarian Universalist, Charlottesville, VA(TJMC UU is the anchor church since 2010; meals made by children's Sunday School classes)
  • The Margaret and Michael Gorman family of Ivy, VA
  • University Scouts at UVA (Venture Crew 1819)
  • The Rachel Thielmann family of Charlottesville, VA
  • Mollie Michie Pre-School in Charlottesville, VA
  • Cub Scout Pack 79, United Methodist Church in Crozet, VA
  • Cub Scout Pack 183 and Troop 3, Louisa, VA
  • Children's Garden Pre-school, Earlysville, VA
  • The Enrichment Alliance of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
  • Key Clubs of Charlottesville, VA
  • The Elaine Cheng Family of Charlottesville, VA
  • LDS Church (Second Ward Youth Group), Charlottesville, VA
  • The Dawn Cleveland Family of Ivy, VA
  • Olivet Presbyterian Church Kids Connection, Charlottesville, VA.
Special Notice for food donations and funds for UVA Hospitality House food purchases
  • Antioch Baptist Church, Scottsville, VA
  • Whole Foods Market, Charlottesville, VA
  • Hot Cakes Restaurant, Charlottesville, VA
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  All recipients of this e-mail, or who read this note as a blog posting are invited to involve your family, church, children's organizations, and schools in this valuable food program for outpatients and caregivers who simply do not have funds to support themselves while visiting UVA Medical Center. Read about the program and the part you can play. February and March participation for making full-day meal packets is needed NOW..

Sincerely ....  T. Wade Clegg III

Monday, January 13, 2014

Their Music is Great ... Their Generosity THE Sweetest!

We received another wonderful boost for the IHS Food Program with a late December grant from the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF).  A check for $10,000 arrived in the mail in late December. Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS) is one of sixty-one (61) organizations receiving $400,700 in grant awards in this last cycle.

Feeling so very thankful

The Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in CACF has supported our requests consistently for three (3) straight years. This represents a total of $28,000! With this latest dedicated grant to supplement the food requests for UVA Hospitality House (HH) and for purchases of food for meal-making of full-day meal packets used inside the hospital by social staff for underfunded outpatients and their caregivers, there will be stability in IHS food budget for 2014.

This grant has a tremendous impact on two distinctive food programs

For the Full-day Meal Packets accessed by Social Workers in the Hospital ...

The benchmark continues to be about 2,500 meal packets annually at UVA. That could jump up to 3,000 meal packets quickly. The balance of needing grant money for keeping the supply ready for twice monthly deliveries (200-250 packets monthly) depends on the number of community groups, such as scouts, church classes and congregations, schools, clubs and families, who are making meal packets. 2,500 packets doesn't sound like a large quantity, until you realize that each packet contains about six dollars in food for a full day of nutrition. Therefore, this minimum of 2,500 has an investment value of $15,000. In the year 2013 the community groups bought and made 1,311 packets. This represented $7,866.

For the UVA Hospitality House (HH) this charity is the most reliable provider of food ...

The Manager of HH e-mails a list of needed items twice monthly, about half of which are perishable. Therefore, actual funds are needed to shop and deliver within hours of a purchase. For the last three months of 2013, the average monthly purchase was $380. Some months the purchase can be about $550.  The expectation for 2014 is for no less than $6,000 for HH. Hopefully in 2014 more groups who wish to supplement HH needs for non-perishable items can call or e-mail and ask what is needed.  Remember - at any one time those 30 HH rooms can be filled with a large number of guests who simply cannot afford to visit nearby restaurants.



To the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band Committee ... Thank you for allowing this core group of volunteers that cushion of funds to feed the least able visitors to our community.
 
Sincerely ... All of IHS,  the UVA Social Staff and UVA Hospitality House staff    

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Case in Point: Why This Charity Still Makes a Difference

Time: 2 AM on a Monday. Call from overnight Social Worker that child arrived with a mother accompanied by her parents, low on funds, long distance travel, surgery now scheduled later in morning. Following conversation with Social Worker, room was immediately booked for family in a local hotel.  

Note from Social Worker by e-mail:    
"Thanks much! The parents looked exhausted. I feel much better that they are not driving. They were very appreciative."
Sometimes our week begins very early, as noted above. Emergency arrivals can't wait for normal hours. Your support as a friend of IHS makes it possible for a UVA Medical Center Social Worker to call the only 24/7 responder for immediate assistance.   Just sharing.

Sincerely ... T. Wade Clegg III