Good Things are Happening with IHS Food Program

UVA Hospital Visit enjoyed by all

The Meal Packet Program, originated by Margaret Gorman and her religious education class, and continuing at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church  - Unitarian Universalist (TJMC-UU) in Charlottesville, Virginia were allowed a rare opportunity for a site visit to the UVA Medical Center Social Service Office on Sunday morning, February 6. The class was accompanied by youth group leaders, John, Catherine, Jeff and Mike.

The TJMC-UU group has provided nearly four hundred full-day meal packets in the last three months, and used this opportunity to add more meals to keep the shelves adequately supplied for a few more weeks.  Later in this blog entry you will note further participation with making meal packets before summer.

Teresa Bevins, Clinical Social Worker, and monitor for the program at the hospital's Pediatric Clinic, hosted an hour of discussion about the role of social workers and the impact the Meal Packet Program was having for caregivers. Although no visitors are allowed onto the floor where caregivers are constantly staying with their infant children, the visit provided this pre-college group a chance to learn about the vital role of UVA Medical Center's social work staff.

 The TJMC-UU group had lunch in the hospital cafeteria, just to experience the cost for a single meal. A "full-day meal packet" made by participating groups are nutritionally balanced with diversified items, and based on selective shopping, actually costs less than a single meal from the cafeteria.  This proved to be a reality check for students who realized the expense for a caregiver seeking to balance funds while staying in the hospital away from home for weeks, even months at a time.

Louisa County Cub Scout Pack 183 has joined the Meal Packet Program

Pack 183 has 69 active cub scouts, under the leadership of Cubmaster Jim Snider, and Pack Committee members, Tina Schweikart and Karin Sewell.  On January 30th Tina Schweikart, along with her personal helpers, Connor and Taylor Schweikart, delivered 71 full-day meal packets and 10 breakfast packets to IHS for further delivery to the UVA Medical Center.

Tina Schweikart assumed the leadership role for the project. Scouts and parents went into full organizational mode for purchases and then filling of packets at their January meeting. Personal cards were made, signed and placed in each packet with special notes to recipients of the meal packets.

This past week we received a note from Tina on behalf of Pack 183, which said:

"We are very excited to become a part of this program. We also talked about our ability to commit as a pack twice a year to these collections, and plan to dedicate October and March as our months to assist, hopefully keeping this tradition going for a long time."

A special Valentine's "Giving from the Heart" Party

In early December 2010, IHS received a very personal note from Dawn Cleveland who lives in the Kimbrough Circle neighborhood in Charlottesville. Dawn felt that organizing an event for giving was something she could do with the very young.

That event was scheduled around a Valentine's Day theme in the last week. Dawn said, "The party guests were from Crozet, Ivy, Earlysville, and family from Northern Virginia. 16 kids and 10 adults made for an awesome assembly line. They were age 18 months - 15 years, all helping make cards and assembling bags."

Dawn also said, "One of my friends is an employee of Whole Foods, and she was able to get the store to donate some items as well. I noticed that Whole Foods has been a good sponsor of IHS with their wooden nickels project in the store."

Dawn noticed how the event has sparked a real connection with giving with her young children. She said that her 4-year old is still talking about "the people who don't have money for food," and the comment by her 6-year old when he suggested, "Maybe we could give them money in the bags too, so they could buy more food." 

The Kimbrough Circle "Giving from the Heart" party had an objective of producing 24 full-day meal packets; however, 34 full-day meal packets were delivered to IHS on February 17th.
  

Other groups in the pipeline for adding to this total effort ...

Boy Scout Troop 79, located at Crozet United Methodist Church in Crozet, Virginia has a work project scheduled for February 22nd. Their objective is 100 full-day meal packets, according to Sandy Williams, speaking on behalf of the scouts. No group has ever assembled 100 full-day meals in one day, so this is going to be an exciting evening of energy and satisfaction of knowing that it is possible to make a genuine, positive impact in the lives of so many people.

Murray Elementary School (Ivy) Helping Hands Club, and their guidance leader, Jennifer LoCasale-Crouch, are presently fund-raising for food collection for an assembly and delivery session in March.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church Ivy Spirit Movers Sunday School assembled 20 meal packets on February 13th, and will present their project to the entire congregation at the February 20th worship service.

TJMC - UU children continue their productive ways with meal packet projects scheduled for February - March with an objective of 100 packets, and a similar objective in May. Their example is marvelous for other church groups to emulate.

 In Summary...

The continued expansion of this Central Virginia IHS Meal Packet Program, which has now reached into several counties,  is allowing for monetary contributions to be dedicated to a growing need for lodging support. Margaret Gorman is reviewing a "Rotation Map" for informing new participants as to those months when production of meal packets need an extra input.

However, full-day meal packets should contain items which have a solid shelf life for many, many months. Therefore, if a large number of packets is produced prior to the long summer or winter holiday breaks, which can effect scout and school club activities, then IHS is standing by for a call for pickup and delivery in any month which makes the activity convenient for all contributors.

Allow me to offer an example of how all of IHS objectives can come together with just one patient...

For purposes of privacy, in the not so distant past, a small child was released from the UVA Medical Center on a Friday. The child was here with a grandparent, with no funds for sustaining outside the hospital environment. The child needed a prescription filled for pickup at the hometown pharmacy over 300 miles away, but Medicaid offices were closed for extended assistance. The ride home by Medicaid taxi was not available until the following morning. The status was this: no funds for food, lodging, and medications until arrival at home. 

The social worker on duty called the pharmacy in the child's hometown, and indicated some specifics, and IHS paid for the medication to assist for a few days until Medicaid could be engaged again on Monday. IHS immediately booked a hotel room for the night near the hospital. The social worker then obtained several meal packets from the social worker office to feed the child and grandparent through several days until securely back at home.

You may ask and rightfully so...how many meal packets are needed? A definitive answer is difficult, for the need is experienced in all of the UVA Clinics. Lack of nutrition reaches long and short term residents at UVA Hospitality House,  caregivers in Ronald McDonald House, many family members who have come to be near a loved one in critical care, and many outpatients with only funds for travel to the UVA Cancer Center for treatment,  etc. etc.  Dawn Cleveland and Margaret Gorman reminded their children to remember that one person staying as a caregiver for 60 days needs 60 full-day meal packets. It is a sobering example, and presently the IHS objective must be prepared with no less than 300 full-day meals monthly.

Blessings ... T. Wade Clegg III

A Marvelous Start for 2011 and what happened last year!

January has it all, including the end of that long holiday period and lots of mixed weather (including snow), which can delay families and patients already strapped for funds for lodging and food.  January also brought us new friends to add to the giving group that supports this all-volunteer charity.

Many new friends have learned of our efforts, especially with that very in-depth Daily Progress newspaper article of November 28, 2010. If the previous link fails, and you missed it, scroll back on the blog to the entry of November 29 and read it on-line.  Also, please share it with a friend.

A few days ago I received an e-mail from a follower in northern Virginia. He asked if there are any similar charities serving people in his area. I indicated that IHS is serving patients and families from his very town! Many do not know that all of those receiving IHS lodging and food support come to the UVA Medical Center from distances ranging from 60 miles to hundreds of miles. Many do not know that this large teaching and trauma hospital is the home of specialties not easily found elsewhere - in cancer and infant care, among others. Therefore, IHS is quite literally a service to every Virginia locality.  

2011 is the beginning of our third year and it's tax preparation time, which will be posted upon completion. Already, we are very close to filing the updated detailed information for review on GuideStar.  There are also a lot of hyperlinks on our home page, which allows IHS to be as transparent as possible.

In March IHS will have its first opportunity, as a nonprofit public charity, to enroll in the annual Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) for state workers.  Look for further announcements about this in the months ahead.

You will be pleased to know that we continue to make a difference.  Although IHS is independent of the UVA Medical Center, our close working relationship with social workers enables us to respond rapidly to unmet family and patient needs.  Now... It's reporting time!

In summary:  during 2010...  

• IHS assisted 259 people with lodging for 536 overnight stays. This included commercial hotel rooms and assistance at UVA Hospitality House.

• IHS provided over 1,500 meals, mostly in the last six months of the year.  Pinnacle Foods provided 500 large frozen dinner coupons early in the year, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Unitarian Universalist (TJM UU) Church in Charlottesville began its full-day Meal Packet Program in October. Margaret Gorman's Sunday School classes produced a total of 310 packets, and will continue their leadership role for the program into 2011. 

• IHS continued to sustain two funds that were established in the Office of Social Work. One meets Pay Grade 1 medical co-pays. The transportation fund covers the cost of commercial bus tickets or gas expenses for a patient's vehicle. Secondly, local transient tickets are issued to Charlottesville area patients following their UVA Medical Center appointments.  This past year we donated $1,274.00 to these efforts in response to requests from the Office of Social Work. 

• IHS invited three advisors to become active board members, and each accepted and fills vital volunteer roles.

• Margaret Gorman designed the full-day Meal Packet Program and a handout for guidance, then introduced it to Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops throughout central Virginia. They are now busily producing packets for 2011 deliveries. Other interested groups may e-mail Margaret at gormanmargaret@hotmail.com for further ideas and guidance.

• Jean B. Lee has arrived after retiring as Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has accepted the role of Development Officer. She has been attending CNE courses and is presently engaged in grant research and writing on behalf of IHS.

• Danielle Devereux, a well known Charlottesville real estate broker for many years and a UVA Medical Center volunteer translator, has placed herself on standby for future projects, not the least being the IHS Vision project. Anyone interested in donating land for this long-term goal of establishing a permanent farm setting for IHS will have an expert to come and review the possibilities with the donor.

In the weeks ahead I will provide the names of those scouting groups and others who are making such a wonderful impact by producing full-day meal packets for delivery every two weeks to the UVA Medical Center Pediatric Clinic. This program is an opportunity not only for scouts, but also for church classes, clubs of all kinds, and school classes. We hope to spread production over the year, in order to meet our monthly goals.

With the Meal Packet Program in its present productive stage, monetary donations can be routed to the most demanding IHS obligation, namely lodging assistance. The colder, snowy months increase the need for lodging assistance. Your continued contributions keep the rooms available. Just sharing.

Sincerely ... T. Wade

A Personal Holiday Greeting from T. Wade Clegg III

On behalf of our small pool of very active volunteers who make up Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum, and for all the UVA Medical Center social workers for whom we support for their concern for patients and families, please allow us all to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday.

Thanks for so many days of lodging and eating for so many visitors to our community who have been allowed to have a hotel room and adequate food for their stay. It has been a marvelous year.

Just in case you missed the very definitive newspaper article in the Charlottesville Daily Progress of November 28, 2010, please read our blog entry directly beneath this article and the link to the newspaper article. Then share it with a friend or neighbor.

Allow me to leave this lovely bit of advice in your thoughts as a gift…

“Many men and women know the laws of mathematics and are skilled in the arts, but most know very little about the laws governing life, the art of living. One may be able to build an airplane and circle the globe and yet be entirely ignorant of the simple art of how to be happy, successful, and content. When studying the arts, place first upon the list the art of living.” Author Unknown

“Surely at the heart of the art of living… is the giving.” ... T. Wade

Blessings….T. Wade, Elisheva and Sam
Founding Members of IHS

A Personal Holiday Greeting from T. Wade Clegg III

On behalf of our small pool of very active volunteers who make up Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum, and for all the UVA Medical Center social workers for whom we support for their concern for patients and families, please allow us all to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday.

Thanks for so many days of lodging and eating for so many visitors to our community who have been allowed to have a hotel room and adequate food for their stay. It has been a marvelous year.

Just in case you missed the very definitive newspaper article in the Charlottesville Daily Progress of November 28, 2010, please read our blog entry directly beneath this article and the link to the newspaper article. Then share it with a friend or neighbor.

Allow me to leave this lovely bit of advice in your thoughts as a gift…

“Many men and women know the laws of mathematics and are skilled in the arts, but most know very little about the laws governing life, the art of living. One may be able to build an airplane and circle the globe and yet be entirely ignorant of the simple art of how to be happy, successful, and content. When studying the arts, place first upon the list the art of living.” Author Unknown

“Surely at the heart of the art of living… is the giving.” ... T. Wade

Blessings….T. Wade, Elisheva and Sam
Founding Members of IHS

Charlottesville's Daily Progress Newspaper highlights IHS's charitable efforts!

It is not likely that many of you have heard of or read The Daily Progress of Charlottesville, Virginia; however, please turn your attention to a front page Sunday article, November 28, 2010. Here is the direct accessible link:

http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2010/nov/27/fluvanna-couple-helps-families-uva-patients-hotel--ar-679903/

We were truly gratified with the front page placement of a lengthy article with a few photographs on Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum.

This recognition of the charity's objectives comes at a most appropriate time. The holiday period through the winter months was the most pressing for lodging requirements last year, and to receive notice locally has such merit. Please open the link to the newspaper and read the article.

It's never too early or too late to tell you that we are blessed to be able to participate in this totally independent, non-religious public charity which is devoted to assisting the UVA Medical Center Social Workers who are serving families and patients who travel from great distances to this marvelous University of Virginia Medical Center.

Blessings....Elisheva, T. Wade and Sam
Founding Members of Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum

IHS Announces our First IRS Tax Return available on line!

I know that most of you reading this short entry received some important updates on November 12, but this update needed to be added. Although it is not required, we have decided to post the 2009 Tax Return. It can now be accessed from the IHS "Home" page or directly here: IRS Form 990-EZ.

What will be evident is that all of us serving the charity are volunteers. Yes...hours are posted for the record, but those hours represent a minimum required in the initial year, and throughout 2010 we have been accessible 24/7 for social worker contact.

Beginning in 2010 we allowed all wedding couples who use our ministerial services to donate a sizable part of their wedding fee directly to IHS for a tax deduction. That allowance not only gave each wedding an added depth of meaning, it has become a prominent source of income to sustain the charity, since IHS has never received a grant or an adequate number of consistent monthly donors.

Food Support from Charlottesville's Thomas Jefferson Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church has made such a difference in recent months. Their objective of 200 full day rations for caregivers at the UVA Hospital Pediatric Clinic will be realized after just one month. In fact, Teresa Bevins indicated that some of those gallon size zip lock bags, crammed with nutrition for a full day of eating for an adult, have been shared with caregivers at the Children's Cancer Center which is experiencing the same needs.

Someone asked a prominent question last week, "Are you telling me that those parents are here for weeks on end and without funds to properly eat?"

How were so many of these parents and family members who are here for weeks and months being sustained for their food needs? Isn't it evident from reading Teresa Bevins plea in the April 2010 entry? The answer is that they were going hungry most days, while their children were being treated by the most expensive and best care possible. Some were eating once a day from their own depleted funds. Some were being given money from social workers, nurses, doctors just to get by for a few days. Yes, some staff was sharing when these circumstances were noticed, since all too often these caregivers will simply allow themselves to be hungry before seeking assistance. There is already the feeling that their children are receiving excellent medical treatment, and to relate that they are going hungry is not acceptable. Pride can and has left far too many malnourished.

Someone else asked, "Where did those late night arrivals to the Medical Center sleep before you guys got involved?"

That question has been answered from the day this charity started.

"THEY WERE SLEEPING IN THE CORNER OF A LOBBY WHEN ALLOWED. THEY WERE SLEEPING IN THEIR CARS. WITH CHILDREN. THEY WERE EATING CRACKERS AND SODA FROM A MACHINE."

Two nights ago at midnight, we received a call for an overnight social worker. A family had arrived with their child from southern Virginia. He was checked and released for a NEXT morning appointment in the medical center. Not entered as expected, and with inadequate funds for a hotel room, and a policy of no children in UVA Hospitality House, and too late for check-in at Ronald McDonald House, the social worker had only one place to call. He called IHS. Problem solved.

This was the third late night call for similar situations in two weeks with children. In the past a social worker was placed in the most awkward of positions. Please consider the strain on a social worker who has to tell a parent there is nothing he or she can do.

This was the past...and these situations must remain a thing of the past. They simply must!

It's that time of year when we are told that giving is most prominent. We are hopeful that a wind is headed into your life and the spirit of giving will allow you to share some of it with us. We have some pressing lodging needs at this time and winter brings a renewed sense of urgency.

I am only asking for each of you to seek to provide a few dollars a month.

If 500 friends can provide $5 a month, this will form a base for maintenance.

If more is possible, we will keep the pantry filled with food in Pediatrics, and the co-pay fund prepared and ready.

Please review what is possible. We will continue to perform full-time and allow our ministerial fees to sustain to the extent possible, but truthfully, we need your assistance now.

Blessings…T. Wade and Elisheva Clegg

Notes for November - an Update for Friends

It seems hard to believe, but we are now at that 2 YEAR MARK AS A CHARITY. Yes, the actual retroactive date on our IRS notice was November 13, 2008, but we began exploration before that date, and necessarily had to wait until June 2009 to engage in activities to begin assistance. The challenges began from day one, and they have not diminished. UVA Medical Center Social Workers were often faced with too many who could not afford lodging, food, co-pays and periodic transport needs. Nothing has changed, EXCEPT that IHS provided another safety net, a "go-to responder" accessible 24 hours every day.

Please consider the numbers assisted

The figures are significant from that beginning in June 2009 when the phone line was opened for social workers to call and indicate specific needs. The main emphasis has been and will remain a need for TEMPORARY lodging for those who arrive from considerable distances without adequate funds.

November has started with an increased need for commercial hotel rooms, since UVA Hospitality House (HH) becomes fully booked weekly. This period is especially challenging since funds seem to diminish at the same time as the need increases. Not counting this first two weeks in November 2010, and since the beginning activity for lodging in June 2009, this charity has provided for 356 people in 563 overnight rooms. These people, often with children, would simply not have had a place to sleep had this challenge not begun.

The original lodging objective has continued and expanded

Two methods of assistance were established: (1) When UVA Hospitality House (HH) is full, or a family with a child under 18 arrives and cannot be accommodated at HH, then this charity will place those who have been fully screened and approved by a social worker in selected commercial hotels for temporary stays, and (2) When HH has a room available and a visitor simply cannot afford that extremely reasonable and often flexible fee, then IHS will assist.

Since those initial months, IHS has expanded assistance to the extent possible and paid for many visitors to Ronald McDonald House (RMH). This occurs when a family arrives prematurely or RMH has found its eighteen rooms fully booked. In addition, there are many occasions over the last year when out-patients for the Cancer Center need to stay for 4-5 weeks in HH for chemotherapy, and special rates are allowed for the patient and IHS will contribute to secure the stay.

Just this past week another problematic pregnancy resulted and the patient was not able to return home where there are no medical facilities to handle her condition. IHS placed the family in a hotel and then arranged for up to 28 days assistance as needed at HH while waiting for the new arrival. Yes, this is more than temporary, but working with the very capable Manager of Hospitality House, we have both learned to stretch to meet unusual situations.

Food Project is receiving marvelous support

Several months ago we received our first request for consistent food assistance from Clinical Social Worker Teresa Bevins in the UVA Medical Center Pediatric Clinic. Her emotional appeal is seen in the blog entry of April 27, 2010. Scroll back and read it again, since these same caregivers and others continue to arrive and now receive daily meals.

One manufacturer extended a helping hand with 500 coupons for family size frozen dinners. Pinnacle Foods, one of the nation's largest producers, has made these early months in the program so manageable; however by January 2011, those coupons will have all been used.

A New participant has come forward at just the right time

Early last month Margaret Gorman of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church in Charlottesville offered to engage families in her neighborhood, then the children in her church. Every two weeks Margaret's kids spend time making zip lock gallon packets filled with items for a fully nutritional day of eating. This marvelous project has now received full support from the church's Social Action Council, and is presently providing a significant impact in this monthly need at the Medical Center. In one month alone they have provided 80 full day rations for the caregivers who are waiting with their seriously ill infants in the Pediatric Clinic.

Margaret has asked to become a very active part of our local outreach program. She doesn't have an official title, but suggested that "Meal Packet Trainer" might be appropriate. Margaret has made a science out of her kid's project from procuring items to filling the packets, and all with the intent of providing a fully nutritional 1300 calorie offering. She is ready and prepared to offer guidance if a church or organization (such as girl and boy scouts) in or near Charlottesville, Virginia wishes to learn and/or share in this terrific experience of dedicated giving. Anyone who would like to know how Margaret has modeled her program, please e-mail her at gormanmargaret@hotmail.com.

It is absolutely amazing how one small group of children with a monthly objective of a few dozen full day rations in one gallon zip lock bags every other week can impact our need. If just a few more groups can reach out monthly and join Margaret's Sunday School classes, the load can be shared and sustained in a marvelous manner.

November is our month for the "Nickels for Non-Profits" program at Whole Foods Market in Charlottesville, VA

It is so gratifying to be selected again to participate in this Whole Foods charitable opportunity. The Market is located at 300 Shoppers World Court along US 29 North in town. In case you are not aware of the program, local non-profits are featured on a collection box prominently displayed for exiting shoppers to place their wooden nickels received from the cashier at check-out. You have to ask the cashier for the nickels as you complete payment for merchandise, and upon leaving you drop the nickels into the slot which says Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum.

IHS is featured as one of the two nonprofits for the entire month of November. Customers from as far away as 30 miles of the Charlottesville store come to shop at Charlottesville's largest organically oriented food market. Please take a moment to remind a friend or family member who lives in the area to remember this opportunity throughout November. Those nickels can turn into hundreds of dollars to support lodging, co-pay and food needs.

Don't be shy! Giving has such a healing power.

It's Thanksgiving, and we are so thankful for those who remember that we depend on funds solely from friends and acquaintances who receive this monthly blog. Remember... that as little as $10 can secure a person in Hospitality House, and $50 for one night in a hotel when that is the remaining alternative.

Here is our direct donation link for your convenience:

http://interfaithhumanitariansanctum.org/donate.php

Also remember what we said from day one:

"NO MORE CHILDREN SLEEPING IN CARS OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA MEDICAL CENTER. NO MORE FAMILIES GOING HUNGRY WHILE A LOVED ONE LINGERS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. NO MORE!"

Thank you for your support over this holiday period. It is very much needed.

Blessings....Elisheva, T. Wade and Sam
Founding Members of Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum