Tuesday, June 17, 2014

J & E Berkley Foundation's Continued Support in 2014!


The J &E Berkley Grant for Spring 2014 so vital to IHS Programs


We received the announcement from Chris Pasmore, Executive Director, J & E Berkley Foundation, that IHS had been selected for a grant of $10,000 at the Foundation meeting on May 7, 2014. This specific grant will allow for about fifty percent of projected annual funding support for IHS lodging, emergency prescriptions and co-pays, and pediatric needs (such as infant car seats). The grant is not used to support the IHS Food Program.

Third Consecutive Year that IHS has received the J&E Berkley Spring Grant

IHS has now received from the Foundation a total of $23,000 over the last three years. This third year assistance comes at a time when commercial lodging and UVA Hospitality House fees have increased, while IHS's obligation to the least able to afford overnight accommodations remains firm.

The Application for the Foundation Grant for 2014 offered this Brief Description
"IHS is the "go to" 24/7 public charity accessed by UVA Medical Center Social Workers for underfunded long distance patients and family members who meet Social Worker criteria for assistance after being screened and approved as eligible. The project for which funds are being sought is for this charity to continue to respond for immediate temporary assistance for lodging, emergency prescriptions, and pediatric assistance by a Social Worker. This on-going work has been and continues to be the reason that people are not sleeping in cars with their children and with nothing to eat when waiting for a next day medical appointment, or monitoring the critical condition of a loved one in the UVA Medical Center. It is also the answer to underfunded patients leaving for a trip home to have a prescribed medication after hours to maintain their well-being, as well as for an indigent parent to have an infant car seat made available so they can legally leave the hospital with an infant child."
IHS is one among many non-profits who benefits from this generous Foundation

The J & E Berkley Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations for programs in Charlottesville and its contiguous central Virginia counties. The foundation, which focuses its funding on the whole community, supports programs that address the prevention of social and environmental problems and improvement of the quality of life.

Thank you Director Chris Pasmore and the Members of the Foundation ... from ALL of US at IHS and the Staff at UVA Medical Center.


Monday, June 2, 2014

UVA Medical Center Department of Surgery Staff produces a full-month's supply of meal packets!

The following article regarding the meal-making project by the Department of Surgery on May 14th was written by Brian Murphy, Lead Editor, Internal Communications, UVA Health Systems Marketing,  and was published internally at UVA Medical Center.  It is being shared for further exposure for all IHS friends.

Surgery Meal-Packet Team: Assembled! 
by Brian Murphy


Dr. Irving Kron, MD, and Dean Nancy Dunlap, MD, PhD, MBA
Many of our patients and families travel great distances to receive their care from us. And some of them need more than medical assistance when they arrive. The Meal Packet Program, from the Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum, is one tool available to these individuals where they can be provided with a packet containing enough nutritious food to feed one person for one day. The packets are kept and distributed by social workers here at UVA.

The Department of Surgery recently organized a "meal packet" assembly day as a team-building volunteer effort across their department. Together, the team assembled a total of 304 meals for patients in need. "The leadership at the Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum told us that the summertime often brings a shortage of donations for the meal packet program," says Sandra Burks, RN, Associate Director, Surgical Therapeutic Advancement Center, "so we are excited that we can help to provide meals for families at UVA who may be in need during this time."

Burks adds:
"One of our goals in Surgery has been to build on our sense of community, and being a part of this meal packing program has been a really great way for folks in different areas to get to know other people whom they might not otherwise encounter every day. The primary goal has been to serve our mutual patients and families - but the bonus of working alongside new friends has been great!"
Marianne Capone, MSW, LCSW, Social Work Manager, says:
"Think of the expense of feeding a family of three or four people over several days while they are here supporting a loved one during a medical crisis. The Meal Packet program is one of the things that we can make available to families and caregivers to ease that burden."
The Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS) is an independent, non-religious, all volunteer public charity working to support patients and families who travel to UVA seeking care and who need assistance with basic needs. To learn more about the Meal Packet program or IHS, please visit: www.interfaithhumanitariansanctum.org.