Following a Long Summer, IHS Friends are Back to Assist

The Group that initiated the IHS Meal Packet Program Thomas  Jefferson Memorial Church, Unitarian Universalist (TJM-UU) of Charlottesville, Virginia prepares for another year of assisting the IHS Meal Packet Program. On Sunday August 19 the Church dedicated their monthly "Social Action Collection" to collect funds that will allow them to buy foods and supplies that will be turned into meal packets for the people we serve. Margaret Gorman speaks to TJM UU Church Congregation responds Church member and IHS Board member Margaret Gorman spoke to the congregation during morning worship service, and they responded generously. The church now has $2,131.00 to apply toward meal packets supplies. This should provide about 300-350 full-day meal packets; perhaps more if church shoppers  are able to find special sale prices for the items that they need. The church children, youth, and adults will all have opportunities to assemble meal packets and create the greeting cards that are enclosed for recipients. What Began in June 2009 is only growing Rain or shine, summer or winter, 200-250 full-day meal packets are delivered monthly to the Office of Social Work at UVA Medical Center for access by social workers to provide to long distance caregivers (mostly indigent situations), seeking to exist on minimum nutritional needs while supporting a loved one in the hospital. The TJM UU Church has been the anchor group for  sustaining  the program, as other church classes, scouts, schools, and families pitch in annually with assembling  parties to fulfill this vital need. Listen to Margaret's Presentation to the Church via the link below Click Microphone 16 people with Division 5A, Capital District of Key Club made a difference Key Club Group Responded Quickly in August IHS received an e-mail from Danielle Horridge, Key Club International, Capital District Lieutenant Governor, on the evening of August 11.  Danielle announced that Division 5A of the Capital District of Key Club will have 16 participants (11 Key Clubbers from Albemarle HS, Charlottesville HS, Fluvanna County HS, Monticello HS, and Western Albemarle HS as well as 5 members of the Charlottesville Kiwanis Club) at their President's Council Meeting/ Service Project on August 12. After the meeting the group was to make 50 meal packets from items donated by the members as well as Kroger. Her only question:  "Where do I deliver?" From First Notice to Delivery in 12 hours ... What a Pleasant Surprise Danielle Horridge delivers a trunk load of meals Danielle arrived at the IHS Office at Crofton Plaza at Lake Monticello Sunday afternoon right on schedule.  She delivered 52 full-day meal packets, each with a very personal note enclosed. In addition there were some extra items for IHS stocking supplies for making further packets. Danielle said that she had been in contact with Margaret Gorman, and learned of the IHS Program from members of the Western Albemarle High School Key Club. That group bought, assembled, boxed and provided meal packets earlier in the year. Danielle explained that her division does not personally have a website, but the district does. The link is http://www.capitalkeyclub.org   Thanks to everyone who participated in the event. That's enough meals for a week and will feed fifty people with so very few funds to sustain while waiting in the UVA Medical Center. An Important Reminder There are two parts to the IHS Food Program which serves patients and families so far from home.  These visitors are either in out-patient treatment and staying in UVA Hospitality House (which is supplied by IHS with food for guests every other week) or they are family caregivers, mostly parents staying with their children in Pediatrics for weeks, even months, as a child waits for a transplant or is fighting for life from an accident or disease.  The list is long for why someone has traveled to this healthcare center, but the need is absolute and often the only place for the indigent population of Virginia. Not eating should never be a part of the suffering which is already occupying someone's life. How Easy to make a difference in the lives of so many If  your church group, club, troop or civic organization is looking for an easy, important and fun volunteer project, or if you and some friends would like to get together to do an activity that has an impact on other people's lives, please look at the "Food Program" section of the IHS website for instructions on how to create meal packets, or how to donate funds designated for the charity to make meals.  What a terrific opportunity to be involved with children in shopping, selecting, making personal notes and filling gallon size plastic bags with a full day's nutrition, and teaching generosity all at the same time.  Click on the above hyperlink for details... Blessings ... T. Wade

Casting a Small Net Can Reap Abundance

Notes from T. Wade Clegg III About four weeks ago I wrote to a dozen close friends of the charity who have possible contacts for collection of infant clothes. Most are women who have been very supportive of the charity in a variety of ways. I asked for them to reach out to their personal contacts for both gently used and perhaps new infant clothes for those indigent children in the UVA Pediatric Clinics.  Just as IHS provides infant child safety seats as needed, these same children are often returning to a home with little or no clothing, diapers, etc. Pediatric Clothing Requests have been another category of increased need   The range of sizes needed dictates having a diversity of clothing to meet immediate needs, or funds for purchase as needed, or to keep in stock as calls are received.  Requests for either a boy or girl, 0-3 months, 0-6 months, 6-12 months, 1-2 years, and above 2 years. However, the most prominent sizes are the 0-3 months, especially socks and "onesies."  Last month we were caught without clothing for the tiniest size, and three babies needed assistance quickly. A quick trip to a Walmart sale to meet those minimum requests allowed us to realize what "sticker shock" awaits an indigent family for their baby. An Exceptional Gift from The Paul Stefan Foundation Paul Stefan Foundations Residents Tina Schweikart, already fully supportive with full-day meal packets through the Louisa Boy Scouts twice annually, sent an e-mail almost immediately. Tina is the Office Manager for The Paul Stefan Foundation,  whose mission is to provide transitional housing to pregnant women and their babies who have nowhere to go. The program is open to all women, who may stay up to 2 years in a safe homely environment where each mom works with a counselor toward continued education, employment, and child care education. Tina e-mailed: "The Foundation was formed by Randy and Evelyn James. Randy is President and CEO, and Evelyn is the Executive Director.  We currently have two (2) homes located in Unionville, Virginia, and each home can accommodate 5 moms and 5 babies. The generosity of our community will allow us to share with your charity." On July 25th, Tina and CEO Randy James arrived at the IHS Storage and Assembly Office at 105 Crofton Plaza at Lake Monticello, Virginia. Earlier when Tina said, "We have a ton of items for those babies," I had no idea that she was speaking literally.  Tina arrived in her SUV with the rear filled, and Randy came in a pickup with twelve (12) large bins and additional clothing in bags. It was indeed a marvelous expression of generosity, and deliveries to UVA Pediatric Social Worker Teresa Bevins begins this week. A few more comments about the Paul Stefan Foundation We hope you will connect with the link and learn more about the devotion of this wonderful charity which is dedicated to expansion as they secure young women and their newborns. Quite frankly, very few programs have such an extended assistance up to two years, and then still offers continued support with house supplies, diapers, cribs, etc.  The Paul Stefan Foundation offers that springboard for a future. It is indeed a most admirable undertaking. Thanks to Randy and Evelyn James, Tina Schweikart and staff for their generosity. You are invited to learn about this new friend of Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum, another non-religious charity,  reaching out with options for young women of many cultures. You will find a lot of information at their website at http://www.paulstefanhome.org. The site will soon be updated for information on their Gala/Casino night scheduled for October 20, 2012. Sorting through the Treasure and labeling is no easy task As of August 13, most of the delivery from the Paul Stefan delivery has been separated into smaller boxes, separated by sizes, and category of clothing. This was no easy task. Thanks to the Leiva girls of Lake Monticello, Cecilia Leiva and her daughters,  Cindy and Jocelyn, for their hours of assisting with clothing and packaging meal packets in the Crofton Plaza Office in late July.  Thanks to Board Member Danielle Devereux for bringing out some men's clothing, which will be given to the social worker in ER for those situations when an adult male arrives for treatment and ends up needing a change of clothes when released. A final important update regarding our support of UVA Pediatrics During the first half of 2012, IHS has obtained 24 infant car seats (regular and premie sizes), and delivered 20 seats for the UVA Pediatric Clinics. The projection for this year remains at 40-50 infant car seats, so we are only half-way home for meeting this need. The Paul Stefan Foundation infant clothing donation will allow for considerable assistance for many months; however, anytime you are in a Target, Walmart, Sears, Penny's or any baby clothing store, always consider packets of socks for tiny feet, little packets of caps for tiny heads, and "onesies" any time. The need does not cease. The Emergency Room (ER) social workers have suggested that large and medium jogging outfits, gently used or new, are the optimum clothing for accident victims to have when being released. So often clothing is necessarily discarded after an accident. Your donation of a jogging outfit can be so important upon release for men and women. Of course we can save you some shopping with a periodic donation, dedicated to any of these categories year round: Lodging, Food, Co-Pay/Prescriptions, Baby Items and ER jogging outfits. Assistance with electric breast pump rentals falls under Baby items. Thanks for your review and consideration. Never hesitate to call and ask us to visit your church, school, club, business, or nurses and doctors association meetings to relate the value of this charity for the indigent patients and families being treated at UVA Medical Center. Ten minutes with a group can make such a difference. Blessings ... T. Wade

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, food programs, prescriptions & co-pays, pediatric support with infant car seats and clothing, etc. , designate your gift to CVC code 3648..

Need a Worthy Family Task during the Summer Break?

A Note from Margaret Gorman, IHS Meal Packet Coordinator, Ivy, Virginia We are in our summer lull for food donations from clubs and churches and eagerly wait for our friends to start up their assistance again. While we wait, perhaps you can put together a few meal packets and email us to come get them? Or, send us a cash donation so we can explore markets for the most reasonable purchases for assembly of meals. Each meal packet now costs from $5-$6.  After all, it is for a full day's nourishment for a patient or a family member coming from hundreds of miles without adequate funds to eat, while being treated at the UVA Medical Center. If you need to know more, visit our food program web page at  http://www.interfaithhumanitariansanctum.org/food.php If you live in the Central Virginia area, at least not more than 60 miles from Charlottesville, an IHS representative is prepared to plan with you for a time and place to retrieve your supply.  If you are traveling into Fluvanna County  near Lake Monticello, IHS has an office (105 Crofton Plaza near the front gate) for food storage and full-day meal packet assembly sessions. Simply make a call or e-mail us and someone will work to collect your meal packets. If you are coming to downtown Charlottesville, we  meet people to transfer from car to car deliveries in Barracks Road Shopping Center. Then we meet with contributors in Hot Cakes Restaurant (next to the CVS Pharmacy). Hot Cakes is one of  THE best caterers in Virginia, and a good friend of the charity. It's a  lovely little restaurant with excellent food.   When a family member comes home, there is always time for some charitable activity My son, Stuart Gorman, and I assembled 22 meal packets this past week. Our goal was 20 meals, but I miscounted a couple of items and some boxes had more than 20 units. Stuart sorted this out and it came out a little better. He also took a trip down memory lane while shopping for food items. He saw the small tubs of diced pears, a favorite school lunch box item when he was a child. Stuart was home visiting from Dublin, Ireland, where he's pursuing a PhD in Medieval History. If anyone wants to know more about armor, castles and weapons of the 100 Years War of the 1400's, or if you need someone to come over to appraise your suit of armor or crossbow, please contact him through IHS.  Keep in mind that IHS delivers from 100-125 full-day meal packets every two weeks to the UVA Office of Social Work for access by all social workers as needed in the hospital. For the first six months of 2012, IHS  has delivered 1,274 full-day meal packets. The majority of those meals have provided nourishment for parents in Pediatric Clinics who are here every day for weeks and even months while their child is being treated for a critical situation.                                                                      Thanks for your consideration ... Margaret

4th of July Meal at HH a Big Hit

A Note from Mary Jackson, Supervisor, UVA Hospitality House Hello To All. I just wanted to send a "Very Special Thank You" to everyone who helped with our July 4th cookout.  There was plenty of food and we still have leftovers. Due to the extreme heat we decided to serve inside. Tom Bninski and I braved the heat and cooked hot dogs and hamburgers for approximately 24 guests. Our menu included hot dogs, burgers, baked beans, potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, chips, watermelon,  drinks and pound cake. We also offered ice cream cones. We could not have done this without the many donations that you provided.  Tom and I worked the day shift and enjoyed preparing and setting up for the meal. Marjorie Riddle our 3rd shift staff had everything in place, baked beans, cutting up all the onions, tomatoes, lettuce, watermelon, drink on ice by the time I arrived on Wednesday. Barbara Matysek our 2nd shift staff did cleanup and stored all the leftovers. It was truly an enjoyable time. Our guests were so excited and had a wonderful time chatting with staff and other guests. I will be sending out Thank You notes to everyone involved. We asked all the guests to sign and we are working on catching up with some that did not. One special thanks to the Whole Foods Market, and specifically Kristen Rabourdin, Marketing Department for the generosity with providing the meats, buns, salad  and a case of organic lemonade drinks for this holiday gathering. July 3rd was also weekly delivery day by Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS), our only consistent provider of food supplies.  This delivery included all of the condiments and cold salads and veggies for rounding out a really delicious offering.  The weekly replenishment of food stock is vital to Hospitality House (HH), and the mostly indigent population who are here from great distances. IHS credits the opportunity to serve HH with the 2011 grant for 2012 which is dedicated to our food needs by Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF).    God bless you all for sharing and caring. Your thoughtfulness was so appreciated.  Much love... Mary Extra Notes from T. Wade Clegg III, President, IHS Next Holiday Meal days at UVA Hospitality House Mark your calendar!  Thanksgiving meal will be on November 22nd (Thursday); Christmas meal will be on December 25th( Tuesday).  If you would like to add a single item to the many which are needed for these holiday meals for those out patients who are here for continuing treatment , please call or e-mail IHS and we will provide ideas which can be used for the special meals, and can carryover for use following the holiday. Nothing goes to waste.  Whatever you or your group can contribute, we await that contact. Full-day Meal Packet Program can use Your support With school out for another two months, the full-day meal program is being sustained with purchases of food items and meal-making by the IHS staff.  If any local church, school, business, day school, club, scout troops, or individual families would like to add to our supplies,  we would be very appreciative. Each meal purchased and made by staff diminishes total funds;  therefore, it is those donations of meal packets by various groups which allow for funds to be held to sustain all programs. Review the link for guidance and let us know if you or your organization can assist in these out of school months especially.  Each full-day meal packet takes from $5-$7 for a truly solid packet. Monetary contributions can be dedicated to the Food Account, the Pediatric Support Account or the General account, which supports lodging, prescriptions, co-pay and other unmet needs.   Many thanks ...  T. Wade

May 2012 Surprise from J&E Berkley Foundation

Another Postal Delight On May 16th Elisheva drove down to the Palmyra Post Office, reached into the Post Office Box and pulled out a stack of letters, the first few being hotel bills. There  on the bottom was a single letter from Chris Pasmore, Executive Director of the J&E Berkley Foundation. She immediately called, her voice emotional, as she read the opening paragraph over the cell phone. She couldn't wait to allow me to know of its contents. She read the opening paragraph which said, "The J&E Berkley Foundation considered your grant request at a meeting held on May 1, 2012. It is my pleasure to inform you that a grant of $10,000 was awarded to Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum, Inc. and to be used in your proposal dated March 31, 2012. Enclosed is an official check in the amount of $10,000." Another generous response to help secure more categories of support had just arrived. To the Board of J&E Berkley Foundation, we are very appreciative. Funding support at the right time This is IHS's second grant since its inception, the first being the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in CACF. That grant last December was sought solely for the immediate support of the IHS Food Program, especially since the UVA Hospitality House had just lost its only stable supplier of food for residents who stay there. So - the Dave Matthews grant was dedicated to meet food needs for 2012. This new grant, although requested for broader assistance for several categories, is however mostly aimed at the increasing need for (1) prescriptions, (2) co-pay, and (3) transportation for indigent clients through the UVA Office of Social Work. Transport funds also include local bus tickets for local patients to have a means to come and go for appointments in Charlottesville.  Last year's total IHS request for these categories which are managed within Social Work was only $1,100.  The projection now is four times that amount! That's right ... Four times as much funding may be needed for 2012-2013 I was informed that about $4,800 could be needed for those three categories. It was evident that present private donations are not arriving to secure this increase; therefore, this grant arrived just at the time to meet initial expectations. Within a week of receiving the grant, UVA Social Work was provided $1,000 to secure immediate needs. With this donation, plus prescriptions over the last few months, IHS funding for these categories has already passed the total request for last year.  If the budget holds as projected, the balance of the grant will be used as needed for lodging, the one category which can fluctuate greatly from month to month. In closing this very positive note ... Remember ...  the reality which every single social worker will confront over the course of a year usually happens multiple times. There will be those with not a penny for lodging, food, a necessary pain medication, a small co-pay to secure that medication, a bus ticket to cross town for treatment, or a baby seat to get an infant home safely.  Hospitality House and Ronald McDonald House may be full at the end of a day, and a family far from home needs to stay over to make sure that that small growth just detected is not something deadly. A Mother and infant have arrived by bus or Medicaid taxi a day early. The infant has surgery day after tomorrow.  There are NO such things as free rooms waiting to host them and a full-day meal to get through the night and next day.   But wait!  That's NOT true anymore.  IHS is that temporary answer to get through a few days, having a medication, having a bus ticket. We are so fortunate to be able to participate 24/7 with social workers  when there is no one else to call.  We only survive  and thrive because of contributions  from hospital employees through the CVC program, private donors locally and throughout Virginia, and from  Foundations such as J&E Berkley and the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in CACF. We are ALL a part of the HOPE for the least able among us.  Remember our saying and hold it dearly, "You don't have to know someone to be a friend." Blessings ... T. Wade

More May Helpers in Busy Final Month of Regular School Year

Notes from Margaret Gorman, Meal Packet Coordinator The Cadette Girl Scouts of Troop 146 used a recent meeting to assemble 48 meal packets. Their leader is Kathy MacEldowny. Troop 146 uses various locations for their meetings, but their most recent meeting was held at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church Unitarian Universalist, where the church children assemble their meal packets. We so appreciate the girls spending some their hard-earned cookie money to buy items for the full-day meal packets and for taking time out of their year-long celebration for the Centennial for Girl Scouting to help out the people at the UVA Hospital. Happy Anniversary to all the Girl Scouts. We hope you and your fellow Girl Scouts have a great time at the Girl Scout Sing-Along in Washington, DC on June 9th. To learn more about this upcoming celebration, see http://100.gscnc.org/rtm_about.html. Angela & Julia Shopping Western Albemarle High School Key Club in Crozet, VA has completed collection of meal packet items. They have scheduled another service project at the school on Thursday, May 17th during the 12:20 PM class period with the objective of assembling 100 full-day meal packets. This is the second time this school year that the Key Club has dedicated a project of meal packet production for the IHS Food Program for the UVA Hospital. The last assembly session at the school was February 16th. Special thanks to Julia Updike, President of the Key Club, and Angela Li, Project Coordinator for this project. We know that you are all involved with studies for final exams and other end of year activities, and this show of support at this time is very much appreciated. Have a great summer! Meal Packet Program could use assistance for Summer Months We fully recognize that these final weeks of May are fully occupied for all school ages, and parents. For those who are still having scout meetings, school club activities, Sunday School classes, or other group activities, please consider a full-day meal packet project during the summer months, or look ahead as you plan service projects from September forward.   Final Reminder: A group as small as a family unit can make a big impact on this special program for the indigent population who come from hundreds of miles to the UVA Medical Center. If you need an example of a family of four actively helping, and lead by Alex (6) and Kate (4), then scroll back to the April 7th blog and read about the Cheng family of Charlottesville. Over a period of months they produced 30 full-day meal packets. Learn all you need to know by accessing the following link: http://www.interfaithhumanitariansanctum.org/foodlist.php            for downloading a guide for making a full-day meal packet. Thanks for your on-going consideration ... T. Wade Clegg III

Children's Groups Who Made a Difference for May Meal Program

Thanks to the generosity of the two groups listed below, we will have sufficient full-day meal packets through this month for the caregiver program in the UVA Medical Center. Summer months are the most challenging since most school and church classes, as well as scouts and clubs, will be on extended break. Therefore, those groups from last year who still have an opportunity to consider an assembly session for producing full-day packets in the next few months will certainly be welcomed, plus any NEW volunteers. You will understand the merit of this "lesson in giving" by reading of the experiences below. Remember - the guide for how to make an IHS full-day zip lock meal packet is located at http://www.interfaithhumanitariansanctum.org/foodlist.php. Brownie Troop 674's First Large Service Project a Huge Success! The fourteen Brownies of Girl Scout Troop 674 performed a great service for IHS at their meeting on Friday, April 26, 2012.  The troop, which meets twice a month at Brownsville Elementary School in Crozet, VA, are a young troop and this was their first large service project. After saying "The Pledge of Allegiance" and "The Girl Scout Promise", the girls previewed their afternoon's project so that everyone would know what to do. The troop divided into two groups. One group made beautiful greeting cards that they colored, cut out and applied stickers and messages to, while the girls in the other group each filled three meal packets from the supplies that were laid out on tables in the classroom where the troop meets. Then the girls switched jobs and the task was completed quickly. Troop leader Amy Life helped the girls organize donating some of the food and supplies for 48 meal packets, but we should note that some of the troop's hard-earned cookie money went toward purchasing many of the items they put in the packets. Thanks very much to Ms. Life, the college student assistants, and the Brownies for their good spirited and generous donation. Children's Garden Preschool in Earlysville, VA  helps again! Maria Brown writes us about her project and the impact it has on the young children in her school: "The children who worked on this project are from 2-5 years old, and there were a total of 15 children who participated in the project.  Each one put together a packet, and we all worked together to make the 'cards' that are in the meal packets.  Our discussions about the project were priceless. The children talked about helping people who were sad because someone they loved was sick, and how they needed to eat.  They were happy that we could do something that might help to make them happy, and not so hungry!  Several of the children commented that the meals looked really good to eat, and they hoped that the people we were giving to liked them! I also had several positive comments from the parents of the children.  They were happy to contribute, and thought that it was important for their children to learn the value of helping others.  It has been a very positive experience for us all!  Thank you for all you do to help these people who are experiencing such a difficult time in their lives.  We will definitely do this project again next year.   Sincerely ... Maria" FINAL REMINDER:  The IHS Meal Packet Program allows every family, business, club, church, school, and scouting group to select a month or two each year for purchase of food items and organize assembly sessions for a truly worthwhile giving opportunity. The productivity of each group depends solely upon your abilities, just as the two groups featured above.  Some families have made a couple of meal packets each shopping trip, and then at the end of a period called or emailed IHS to arrange a time for meeting and accepting their production. It's that simple! Unless specifically indicated, money donations are directed to the general fund to cover lodging accommodations, co-pay and after hours prescriptions. The "Baby Fund" account (for infant car seats, clothing and breast pump rentals) and "Food Fund" can be designated  by a donor when a donation is sent by check or PayPal.  Contributions by U.S. Postal System are sent to:  IHS P.O. Box 163 Palmyra, Virginia 22963  IHS is once again a member of the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) for 2012, beginning in October each year specifically for Virginia State employees to contribute. IHS has CVC code 3648. Thanks for your on-going consideration ... T. Wade Clegg III