If you ever wanted to make a big difference in the easiest possible way, consider joining the St. Francis Monthly Giving Club. This incredibly important club is made up of donors from all backgrounds. They include retirees, hardworking families, local health care employees and more. All of them share the same goal: to contribute what they can to ensure the future of St. Francis Memorial Hospital. Above: Lori-Anne, ER Nurse at St Francis Memorial Hospital, stands behind a stretcher, one of the items purchased with funds raised by Monthly Giving Club Members. Photo submitted.
Local realtor Kristen Graves Kuiack is one of newest members of the club. Born and raised in Barry’s Bay, Kristen knows the importance of having a fully-equipped hospital so close to home. As a realtor, she helps people relocate to the community. “Having access to healthcare close by is often at the front of their minds,” she said.
Graves Kuiack is also a member of the St Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation Board of Directors. When she learned more about monthly giving, she knew it was something she could stand behind.
“I am happy to be able to support local health care by being a part of the monthly giving club,” she explained. “We know it is an investment towards something that we will all need to make use of at some time in our lives.”
As the needs of our healthcare organizations’ are ongoing, and as the pandemic continues to present fundraising challenges, the Foundation is looking to sign up new members interested in joining the club. Foundation Executive Director, Erin Gienow, explained that the club is an easy and effective way to make a big difference. “With many of our fundraising programs and events being affected by the current environment, the monthly giving club provides us with steady and dependable monthly income. Every year the hospital presents us with a list of critical medical equipment that is not covered by government funding and with the revenue expected from the club, which annually amounts to around $70,000, we can identify with confidence a piece of equipment from the list to purchase.”
Current stay at home directives have made the logistics of giving more difficult for some individuals. “As community members are doing their part to help keep everyone safe by staying at home, we are having less in-person interactions with our donors,” Gienow said. “Giving at funeral homes has decreased substantially as well. The Monthly Giving Club provides a solution as one does not have to think about the handling and coordination of having to make a gift.”
The Monthly Giving Club is budget friendly as donors choose an amount that suits their budget best with their gift automatically withdrawn from their bank account or credit card each month.
For as little as $10 per month (or 33 cents a day), new members are invited to join the Monthly Giving Club, to help with the purchase of essential medical equipment to ensure that the hardworking staff at St Francis have the tools they need to care for us all.
For more information about becoming a Monthly Giving Club Member, contact the St Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation at 613-756-3044 ext. 217 or visit www.sfvhfoundation.com
Layman,Al,SFVH(2021,May11) A little goes a long way with the St. Francis Monthly Giving Club [media release]