Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008 - (Page 32)

❋ funding While planning her wedding, 22-year-old Tara Hendrix decided that in lieu of traditional wedding favors, she and her ﬁancé would donate $250 to a hospital in honor of their guests. After all, they reasoned, most people throw out those cheesy favors anyway. For this young Tucson, Ariz., couple, a tight budget had kept them from donating in the past. But this occasion provided a unique opportunity to make a difference. the future I n 2006, nearly $8 billion was donated to healthcare institutions, according to the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy’s 2006 Report on Giving (the most recent year published). “Money is the most popular form of giving,” says Laura Rehrmann, the organization’s board chair, “because it’s the easiest way for patients and their families to say thank you for wonderful care. At a very emotional time in their lives, whether at a joyful birth or a tragic loss, we are there to provide care and comfort. Many people want to thank us for that experience by making gifts of dollars so that the care they received can be provided to others.” So what do hospitals do with these charitable donations? They can be used to purchase anything from children’s toys to new technology and equipment, or they can fund expansion projects. In short, explains Rehrmann, philanthropic dollars pay for anything that might not be immediately available in tight budgets. It’s important to note that ﬁnancial contributions come in large and small denominations. And every gift counts—from the $10 donation that will be used to buy a baby blanket to the large gift for which a hospital wing might be named. “It takes many people’s generosity to reach big goals,” says Rehrmann. “It takes one big heart to meet a small, but vital and comforting, need.” n, ideratio d co n s y t an sa though way to m u ch y special With se a our da we cho ” for sharing ing of inn yo u “thank brate the beg r. ele the as we c new life toge ing favor, d our a l we d r adition tion in hono tr eu of a ona In li ead e mad vorite we hav you to our fa spital. ho of search gifts ren’s re f the finest r, child tronge one o el that children live s We fe lps ve s . t h at h e ppier li nded— is a gift lthier and ha fou hea ital was is hosp ould die w hy t h sh That is hat no child life. so t art wn of the da our being a p in ey preciat ial day. ruly ap spec We t of our David 32 n Tara a d vim & vigor · w inte r 2 008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008 Contents Friendly Faces For Your Health 'Tis the Season to be Safe Eat Your Veggies Joint Effort Fresh Beginnings Decades of Opportunity Keeping Score Your Big Give Roll Up Your Sleeve Tidings of Comfort and Health Blueprint for Safety The Smoke-Free Mom-to-Be Childbirth Trends Moms Choosing Midwives Community Sections Dollars & Sense Ask the Experts

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008

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