Special thanks again to J & E Berkley Foundation of Crozet, Virginia The Spring Grant from J & E Berkley Foundation of Crozet, Virginia in 2016 is $6,000.00. IHS is so appreciative of the consistent consideration annually by the Foundation and its Executive Director, Chris Passmore.  Please remember that all of us at IHS are non-paid volunteers, and we are all donating what we can to IHS personally. Also remember - for transparency we hold the "Gold Seal of Approval" from the Guidestar.org national clearing house. Please do what you can. And, if you would like to donate now to our cause, please click the button below to go to our encrypted secure on-line donation form.
T. Wade Clegg III & Sam McLawhorn
IHS Founding Officers
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Tuesday, June 28, 2016
It's Time to Say Thanks to J & E Berkley Foundation
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Our Grief has not subsided, but we remain devoted to our Mission
A Very Personal Note from Thomas Wade Clegg III
Your notes, calls, e-mails and gifts in memory of Rev. Elisheva Clegg, who died in the UVA Medical Center on April 6, have been so meaningful to me and our four children, plus Sam McLawhorn and those who have supported our charitable activities over the last eight years. Please know that in due course I will make contact and respond to your comments and wishes.  Our personal life as ordained Interfaith Ministers, although separate from the IHS public charity, was used as a supportive branch for funds for the charity. Elisheva was so enthused each time we wrote and performed a wedding, but especially for the last six years when we allowed couples to participate with charitable giving as a part of their fee. So Much Has Changed and Will Take Time to Adjust Emotionally, I found myself forgetting simple things and just needing to withdraw for short periods. I know we are behind in writing e-mails and posting blog notes, but that negligence on my part will change. The emails and blog postings may be shorter, but this next month we will provide more details on those who have been helping. So Many Have Asked: What happened on April 5-6 that led to Elisheva's death? I can only tell you that Elisheva did NOT die from cancers in both her lungs. She was working through a well-planned program with the UVA Cancer Center Lung Specialists, beginning at the first of the year. I have every confidence that the Lung Cancer Center was in route to a complete and fruitful result had Elisheva lived for the removal of the cancer from her right lung which was scheduled for April 7. She died the day before her final operation. April 5th beginning at about 5:30 PM was a nightmare in slow motion Elisheva walked to our upstairs bedroom, following a long conversation of planning for the remainder of the summer. She called me to come upstairs. She was having intense pain in her back and chest and needed assistance. The ambulance arrived shortly thereafter and we were in UVA Hospital ER within the hour. She remained in ER for at least 6 hours From slow nightmare to panic alarm  During the transition process from her ER rolling bed to the room bed, Elisheva experienced further distress and a code was sounded. The room filled with a multitude, all working feverously for almost twenty minutes until a heartbeat was noted. Twenty minutes is a long time. The next move was down the hall to ICU More hours passed. The description of exploratory intrusion to find the source of the internal bleeding will not be related. The exploratory was necessary if the bleeding was to be stopped, but the cumulative efforts ended at 0944 hours. The death certificate reads Elisheva C. Clegg died of cardiac arrest, hemorrhage, chest wall trauma. Other significant conditions: PEA arrest from unknown cause, CPR resulting in chest wall trauma. Now you know what happened as concisely as I can offer. Some final thoughts I got through the funeral that Sunday, but I do not remember who was there. Elisheva was there in a lovely wooden coffin which my daughters selected for cremation. I only had one wish and that was to have all four of my very adult children and their children hear from so many friends what generosity she provided with her life. She loved so deeply and offered such kindness. There was never a day when she did not say to me, one of the following several times: "I love you so much." " Do you know how much I love you?" " Let's do 20 more years, OK?" And I said, "Twenty years plus one!" And she would kiss me. |
Friday, April 8, 2016
Reverend Elisheva C. Clegg Has Passed Away
Reverend Elisheva C. Clegg passed away unexpectedly in Charlottesville, VA on April 6, 2016 at the age of 72. Elisheva is survived by her husband of 43 years, Thomas Wade Clegg III; her children, Ari Jolly and her husband John Jolly of Jacksonville, FL; Yalda Clegg and her husband Scott York of Alexandria, VA; Kristine Bechtel and her husband Todd Bechtel of Charlotte, NC; Wade Clegg IV and his wife Jolene Clegg of Los Angeles, CA, and sister in law Judith Clegg of Tupelo, MS. She was also the loving grandmother of Chandler and Jack Jolly, Zachary and Joshua Bechtel and Arthur and Elsa Clegg.Elisheva C. Clegg was born on January 22, 1944 in Kaiserslautern, Germany and was a war baby survivor of WWII. She met and married her soulmate Thomas Wade Clegg III on June, 25, 1972 while he was stationed with the US Air Force serving at Ramstein AFB in Germany. The entire family moved to the United States when Wade completed active duty with the US Air Force in 1974. Elisheva was compassionate and found her calling in counseling and helping others in times of need. She received a master's degree in pastoral counseling and became an ordained interfaith minister. She also attended the UVA medical center chaplaincy program. She was a kind, generous, witty, dedicated individual to all who had the privilege of meeting her. She was extremely passionate about helping those who were unable to help themselves in times of crisis. It was this need that led her, Wade and co-founder Sam McLawhorn to create the nonprofit charity Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS). IHS is an independent, non-religious, ALL volunteer, nonprofit, 501(c)3 public charity. IHS assists long distance families who are underfunded with lodging and food and other critical needs including items such a providing new infant car seats for UVA's pediatric clinics. A celebration of Elisheva's life is scheduled for this Sunday, April 10th beginning at 2:30 pm at Grace and Glory Lutheran Church located at 683 Thomas Jefferson Pwky VA-53 (Palmyra) VA 22963 (434-589-2217).
In lieu of flowers, please consider Elisheva's efforts in raising funds for her charity, IHS at http://www.interfaithhumanitariansanctum.org/donate.php or mail to:
IHS
PO Box 163
Palmyra, VA 22963
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Monday, February 8, 2016
Five Straight Years of Grant Support Has Secured Food Needs for Thousands of Underfunded UVA Hospital Guests and Out-Patients
 This Grant is impacting on two distinctive IHS food programs  The UVA Hospitality House (HH). The thirty(30) room facility which can lodge about sixty(60) people is the only affordable opportunity for lodging for indigent and unfunded long distance out-patients and caregivers who must come for treatment at the UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville. UVA Hospitality House does not have a budget for food and kitchen related items, and is supported through donations. Although HH receives a small grant from the Emergency Food Bank, the most consistent supplier is IHS. And this specific grant has been the main reason for this charity's ability to secure a monthly fulfillment of needs for HH guests. The Full-day Meal Packet Program. IHS stocks a large cabinet in the Office of Social Work in the main hospital, which allows UVA Social Workers 24/7 access to provide underfunded guests with proper nourishment. Presently, from 250-300 full-day meal packets are delivered monthly. This translates in an active use year to 3,000 packets, or approximately $19,500.00. The program is mostly a community effort, whereby churches, schools, clubs, scouts, day-care centers, businesses, hospital clinics and families buy and assemble packets and deliver to IHS volunteers to keep the cabinet full year-round. When participation is reduced in summer and holidays, the Bama Works Fund is accessed to purchase supplies for maintaining consistent delivery to the Office of Social Work. A Special Letter from Mary Jackson, Supervisor, UVA Hospitality House "The continuation of support by the Bama Works Grant to Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS) is still irreplaceable and crucial to the well-being of our guests (the majority of whom are low-income earners and many are indigent).  |
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Please Consider this Final Appeal as a Truly Worthwhile Opportunity
 December 31st is the end of the year. Only 4 more days. While many will have donated to a charitable activity before Christmas Day, some of you who are friends of IHS may want to take advantage of this final chance to receive a charitable tax deduction to assist the indigent and severely underfunded who must come to Charlottesville to the UVA Medical Center for treatment.Remember - your donation allows us to respond 24/7 to UVA Social Workers who call for assistance with lodging, food, co-pays or an infant car seat for the UVA pediatric clinics when no other agency or organization is available as that final safety net. It's your chance to do good.  Consider one of two methods for your donation.
(1) Write a check to IHS and send it by regular mail to:
IHS
P.O. Box 163
Palmyra, VA 22963
Make a copy to retain for your IRS tax filing as a charitable donation for 2015.
(2) Or donate by accessing the DONATE BUTTON at the end of this short reminder.
 In closing for these final days of 2015, thank you for whatever you can do to secure our efforts to sustain these vital physical needs for the least able among us. Please know that no one in this public charity is paid. The largest private donations of time and funding still comes from the founding members; however, it is simply not enough to sustain a growing need. If it were not so, then I promise we would not ask for your assistance.Also remember - for transparency we hold the "Gold Seal of Approval" from the Guidestar.org national clearing house. Please do what you can. And, if you would like to donate now to our cause, please click the button below to go to our encrypted secure on-line donation form. 
From all of us to all of you,
T. Wade, Elisheva & Sam ... IHS Founding Members |
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
A Little Bit of Hope for the Least Able is Within Your Reach ....
There are so many stories which could be told, but for the sake of privacy they simply must be vague as to time, place of origin , and circumstance. Such is the matter which follows: Late December afternoon call from a Social Worker asking if there was possibly some assistance available for a couple from northern Virginia who had just arrived in a taxi. Not a medical taxi, but a commercial cab! It was not a cheap ride, but the couple learned that a specialist would see them, so that was their only objective.
I learned that the couple was only recently settled into their location. They were arrivals from Africa, and desperate for attention to a particular medical problem. When the option for the appointment arose at the UVA Medical Center, they flagged a cab.
The Social Worker said that she did not know what else to tell me, except that they are here and will be seen. They speak very little English, and communication is limited, but we will work around that. However, as she noted, "The taxi ride left them broke. UVA Hospitality House fortunately has a room for two nights. I know you provide food to Hospitality House so that is covered. Can you cover their lodging for two nights? I can get them home day after tomorrow."
 Our answer was YES... send them over. Some situations don't need a lot of explanation.Thanks to all of you who have brought so much relief to these guests in desperate times.
Your donation keeps us in rapid response mode!
Please remember that all of us at IHS are non-paid volunteers, and we are all donating what we can to IHS personally. Also remember - for transparency we hold the "Gold Seal of Approval" from the Guidestar.org national clearing house. Please do what you can. And, if you would like to donate now to our cause, please click the button below to go to our encrypted secure on-line donation form.
Much love from all of us
T. Wade, Elisheva & Sam ... IHS Founding Members |
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
IHS 2015 Winter On-Line Auction Has Begun ... Check It Out Now!
This public charity's first on-line auction experiment for raising funds to support indigent patients and families who must come for treatment at the University of Virginia (UVA) Medical Center will be active for another two weeks. Most donations for your review are original quality paintings which would provide wonderful décor for office or home.Your participation can secure needed funding for lodging, especially when severely underfunded outpatients and their caregivers must travel hundreds of miles for a critical diagnosis, and then are required to stay for extra evaluations over a period of days. Their inability to handle such costs is where this charity has made such a difference over the last seven years.  Remember - when you bid and obtain one of the quality items or services presently listed on-line, you've secured a patient who could not stay without this vital assistance with lodging. It is indeed a life-giving opportunity through your investment.You'll find present items and services at the following link: Your donation keeps us in rapid response mode! Please remember that all of us at IHS are non-paid volunteers, and we are all donating what we can to IHS personally. Also remember - for transparency we hold the "Gold Seal of Approval" from the Guidestar.org national clearing house. Please do what you can. And, if you would like to donate now to our cause, please click the button below to go to our encrypted secure on-line donation form.
A Sincere Appeal ...T. Wade, Elisheva & Sam
IHS Founding Officers
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