Just in Case You Didn't Know ... and It Hasn't Been Said in a While

The last time I checked the Social Work roster at UVA Medical Center, there were sixty-one (61) inpatient and outpatient Social Workers diligently working to assist patients and their families with problem-solving. The range of intimate involvement with patients is truly broad, and it is not necessarily isolated to a patient's case file after entry into the Hospital, or after check-out. Sometimes it is worth repeating why this totally independent public charity was formed As a volunteer mostly overnight Chaplain at UVA Medical Center from 2006 - 2009, Rev. Elisheva Clegg quickly recognized that treatment for all-comers was of the highest quality; however, among the indigent and underfunded patients there were stressful challenges, especially for those who were forced to travel extremely long distances to this state discount hospital for their care. Very few within this giant teaching hospital, except those Social Workers assigned to handle individual cases, were confronted with the knowledge that their severely underfunded patients with critical situations must worry not only with their life-threatening condition, but also how to pay for transport to and from Charlottesville; where to secure lodging until the appointment/follow-up after lab work for a few days; where to affordably eat while in town; and how to afford a co-payment if a prescription is needed. Those are the main worries, but certainly not all. The decision to make a difference was made and supported by the Manager of Social Work Chaplain Elisheva witnessed the dilemma facing Social Workers, who were often desperate to secure these particular patients, when no hospital agency or charity was available for immediate temporary assistance. Along with her husband and a close friend, working solely as volunteers, the charity was formed in 2008 and received IRS status in 2009. Beginning with the objective of making sure that no more children would be burdened with sleeping in cars with a hungry family, lodging became the first priority. Since then, other categories evolved which needed immediate attention. They were the development of a meal packet program for access by all Social Workers, assistance with food in UVA Hospitality House, late night and emergency need for prescriptions and/or co-pays, periodic bus tickets in town and long distance, and four years ago the need for infant car seats for indigent parents who could not leave the hospital without this safety device for all infants. Of unique importance was the fact that the charity, known as Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (or IHS) operates 24/7 to answer Social Work inquiries. No one is charged for these services, and no staff member is paid. The charity is dependent on private donations, and a few grants for specific needs. Many of you who follow the e-mails and/or blog postings over the years know the stories There are many, and they tend to be repeated monthly. Different days, different people. Early on ...there was the young mother whose husband was in critical care with broken hips from a fall at a construction site. She was with an infant and small boy, sleeping in the Hospital garage until a Social Worker learned of the situation and asked Chaplain Clegg to see if she could locate lodging for them. They were placed in a hotel personally before the charity was formed. There were and are constant caregivers in waiting rooms, and especially the ER waiting room, sometimes elderly who were there for days who had not eaten simply because they could not afford to continue eating in the cafeteria. With the beginning of the full-day meal packet program a Social Worker could call aside someone and ask if they needed something to eat. There were and are late released patients, sometimes nursing injuries, with no one to take them home for great distances and nowhere to sleep except in a chair in the Emergency Room area. A night was provided in a hotel for such cases. This allowed for arrangements the next day for someone to arrive and take the patient home. There were and are patients who needed immediate medications following release, and the charity paid by phone and the Social Worker would call ahead to a pharmacy and confirm the need. Many patients simply do not have three dollars for a co-pay and would have by-passed a necessary medication without IHS assistance. Thanks for your quick review and why we remain committed to this charity. The least able among us don't require much on most occasions ... but when they do ... that need is NOW. 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

Thanks to Fluvanna County Rotary Club

Breakfast Meeting at Lake Monticello This wonderful fellowship of men and women gather for a breakfast meeting each Wednesday at 7:30 AM at the Lake Monticello Community Clubhouse, located just off route 616 in northwestern Fluvanna County, Virginia. On June 3rd, Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS) was asked to acquaint the membership with the humanitarian work we are providing for the underfunded patients and caregivers who must come to the UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville for treatment.  Elisheva Clegg, Vice President of IHS,  showed a short video of the many activities of IHS, which was followed by many questions by Club members. An Enthusiastic Group of community-minded individuals encourages your contact A Special thanks to Rudy Garcia, President of the Fluvanna County Rotary Club; Club Programs Chairman Eric Hess; and to member Debra Kurre, who encouraged our participation for the breakfast meeting.  And thanks to the generous donation by club members following the meeting. The Fluvanna County Rotary Club is having a significant effect on the quality of life in the Fluvanna community. Take a moment and read their website at http://www.fluvannarotary.org. Visit  the "contact us" page on the website. An Officer of the Club will call you with an invitation to attend one of their meetings.   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

May 2015 Support Provided Big Boost!

Special thanks again to J&E Berkley Foundation of Crozet, Virginia On May 5 at a meeting of the Foundation, Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS) was awarded a grant of $5,000.  The grant is dedicated to the following categories of indigent and underfunded patient and caregiver support by the charity, namely for lodging, prescriptions and pediatric items, such as infant car seats. IHS is indeed appreciative of the consistent support shown by J&E Berkley Foundation and its Executive Director, Chris Pasmore.  Thank you! Special Offering from Martin Luther King Day Celebration arrived in May IHS was invited to receive the 2015 offering which was collected by the congregation at the 30th Annual ML King Day Celebration at the Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia back on January 18, 2015.  A check for $1,750 arrived on May 11th . IHS was recognized for exceptional community service, and Rev. Elisheva Clegg, Vice President of the charity, addressed the gathering.   Distribution from Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) began in April The CVC is not known to all friends of the charity, especially beyond the UVA Medical Center; however, CVC is the payroll deduction program for the Commonwealth of Virginia employees. The University of Virginia Medical Center is a state hospital, and state worker support is vital to the future for funding this totally independent nonprofit 501(c)3 public charity, which is devoted to the indigent and underfunded patients and caregivers for immediate temporary needs when no other resource is available to UVA Social Worker staff. Although all identified contributors to the program received direct thank you notes in May, a general description has not been provided to other friends to date. Please know that a total of fifty (50) donors have pledged $3,537.52 to be distributed to this charity over the next eight months for the 2014/2015 campaign.  The initial check deposited in May was $1,273.78. For those who did not wish to be identified as a contributor, this charity is gratified by all hospital employee support for 2015.   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

Attention University of Virginia Health System Employees ... It's National Volunteer Week!

IHS will be present for the Employee Volunteer Fair on Tuesday, April 14,, 2015 from 11 AM - 1 PM.   Location:   UVA Hospital Dining Conference Rooms, found on the first floor behind the Information Desk and beside the West Elevators.  Share this with friends throughout the Hospital. Exposure of this silent public charity's role in support of the underfunded and indigent patients and caregivers through the UVA Medical Center's Office of Social Work is vital for meeting unmet needs. A Note from Robert C. Larsen Strategic Relations and Marketing, UVA Health System "We are inviting five charities/associations/foundations in the community that depend upon volunteers to deliver their mission. The focus is on volunteer of time and talent. National Volunteer Week April 12 - 18th and the UVA Health System will be featuring several employees as examples by what they do for our community and beyond our four walls.  Given the caring nature of the employees, a volunteer exhibit on Tuesday, April 14th and I5th will have 16 local non-profits who can use additional volunteers in meeting their mission.  Each will be attending for a two hour time period over the two days and a schedule of which charity and their hours will be posted on the UVA Connect intranet for employees as well as noted in a Helpdesk message leading up to and the two days of the exhibits.  A table for literature for volunteering from each non-profit will be available both days in case you're unable to attend. Since you're the first charity to secure a time slot on April 14th, please know that the 11 AM - 1 PM covers the lunch time and second, if we don't fill the next time slot and you wish to stay we could accommodate that quite well.  We are doing the advance publicity and signage at the door. This space is used very heavily for events of this type so that's in our favor. This is the first time we've done a volunteer opportunity fair so attendance is questionable. It could take two or three times for this to be successful.  Part of the success will be employees commenting on how they would like to see this repeated. Nothing says it has to be only this one week a year so we could perhaps look at another round in September prior to the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) kick-off in early October.   Bob" ;

Four Straight Years of Grant Support has secured food needs for thousands of underfunded UVA Hospital Guests and Out-patients

As we entered 2015, the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF) provided a Grant of $6,000.00. This grant is solely dedicated to our Food Program. With this grant the Fund has contributed a total of $34,000.00 in the last four years.  Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS) is just one of fifty-four (54) Organizations in Central Virginia area receiving $354,300.00 in grant awards as this New Year begins.  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 "IHS support is crucial to Hospitality House. The other sources of food for our guests do not come close to meeting our needs. Your supplies are in such contrast to the contents of other donations, especially food like fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy products, cereals, and eggs - the kinds of foods that really help a high percentage of our indigent guests. Your personal attention to purchasing food as needed, and with delivery of items this past year from Whole Foods and Hot Cakes Restaurant was an added bonus for guests. The absence of budgeted funds for food leaves us totally reliant on contributions to help the increasing number of guests, more and more of whom stay in excess of six weeks. I could go on with proof of your importance, but let me repeat that what you do is absolutely vital to the well-being of our guests." To the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in CACF Committee ... Thank you for allowing this group of volunteers the needed funds to assist in the feeding of the least able visitors to our community. Sincerely ... ALL of IHS, the UVA Social Staff and UVA Hospitality House Staff

IHS to Receive The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration Beneficiary Award

Martin Luther King Jr., 30th Annual Community Celebration will be held this Sunday, January 18, 2015 at 5:00pm at Mt. Zion African Baptist Church 105 Lankford Avenue, Charlottesville, VA   The 30th Community Celebration of Charlottesville has announced that its 2015 annual community beneficiary award recipient is the Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum. The celebration beneficiary committee selects and awards a local non-profit community service group or organization the proceeds from the celebration offering. The size of the award depends upon the size of the offering.                                 IHS is a totally independent, non-profit, non-religious, ALL volunteer, no stock, 501(c)3, public charity which was formed initially to serve indigent and underfunded long distance patients who must come to UVA Medical Center for treatment. The charity works closely with the Hospital Social Work staff which determines eligibility for assistance, especially for temporary lodging and food and has maintained a silent role as a 24/7 provider for meeting immediate physical needs as requested by a Social Worker at all hours every day since June 2009. Rev. Elisheva Clegg, Vice President and a Founding Member of Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum will speak to the gathering this Sunday, and express appreciation for the committee's expression of faith in the charity's efforts on behalf of serving the least able among us. The IHS slogan from day one of its formulation reflects the outreach which was in Dr. King's message. That message is "You don't have to know someone to be a friend." The Celebration committee will also announce at the gathering the 2015 recipient for The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Award which goes to a resident of the greater Charlottesville area who has demonstrated Dr. King's commitment to civil rights and to improving understanding between peoples of different races and ethnic backgrounds. The keynote speakers for this 30th anniversary will be two pastors who have been very active in the community for many years. Rev. LaVert Taylor, previously of First Baptist Church - Main Street, and Rev. Wayne Arneson, previously of Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church - both of Charlottesville. The Community Welcome will be provided by Rabbi Daniel Alexander, Senior Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel. The Statement of Purpose will be offered by Dr. Teresa Sullivan, President, The University of Virginia.  The MLK Community Choir will provide spirited music for the occasion under the direction of Mr. Jonathan Spivey.

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Still a Productive Year for this Silent Charity

Today is December 31, 2014 ... and I received 138 e-mails reminding me that the deadline for providing a donation for tax deductible contributions is tonight.  I would so like to have the personal funds to contribute to so many worthy causes, but just as you, I have limitations. But - I am reminded by the quantity of requests of the devotion of so many who are seeking to make a difference for the least able among us. My suggestion is to read about the efforts of these charities, do your research, and feel confident that your dimes or dollars are making an impact. We are not going anywhere after Midnight We will be on standby 24/7 for Social Workers at UVA Medical Center for the underfunded and indigent patients and caregivers for some very specific needs when no other resource is available.  This morning at 3 AM I received a call from ER  that a patient was released and sitting in the lobby, very tired, nowhere to lie down, and her ride home to the Virginia coast would not arrive until early afternoon. The ER Social Worker, having explored possible placement into UVA Hospitality House without luck, simply asked, "Can you allow her a place to rest for the remainder of the morning until she can leave town. It's been a long day for her. She simply can't afford a room." Within 5 minutes, she had a room and access to a meal packet. A taxi took her to the hotel. The ability to react so quickly and positively is because of donors who read these e-mails. So - on behalf of the volunteers who have supported this non-paid ALL volunteer charity, THANK YOU so much for allowing this patient a place to rest, and a full day meal packet to sustain her until her arrival back at home. THANK YOU for allowing us to go to a most helpful Walmart and pick up eleven (11) infant car seats just yesterday for re-stocking the UVA Pediatric Clinics when called.  Oh... they did JUST call and say that "We have babies from  underfunded families who  need a car seat  to get home this week. Can you assist us?" The answer will continue to be ...  YES! In the weeks ahead I will seek to summarize those generous groups who have responded in the last two months to our calls for support with the food program.  Most individual donors who sent  funds for lodging, food, prescriptions, travel and pediatric needs do not wish to have their names mentioned, but we are so appreciative of  your generosity.  So much good was accomplished because of ALL of you in 2014.  NOW  (as we used to say in the 60's), THE  BEAT GOES ON! You can make your end of year contribution which is tax deductible until midnight tonight by clicking our DONATE BUTTON below, and remember your information to PayPal is completely secure, confidential and encrypted using all the newest technologies available: Sincerely ...T. Wade & Elisheva Clegg and Sam McLawhorn -   Founding Members IHS