Overly is the ‘Fun’raising expert for Medical Center

Overly is the ‘FUN’raising expert for Fulton County Medical Center

She said ‘yes’ 18 years ago and has since been at the forefront of over $14 million raised

Editor’s Note: To say Helen Overly, 89, is a mover would give him an answer, and I had not given and a shaker would be an understatement. She it any thought.” moved to Fulton County from New Jersey with Because I promised a decision, I called him to her business partner Freda Raker in 1971. They explain that I had not really given this proper founded Overly-Raker Inc. Throughout her career, thought. I was leaving for Washington the next Helen blazed a trail for women entrepreneurs. day to work at another tradeshow. I would She was the first woman to preside as President of return in three days and then for sure I would the Fulton County Medical Center Board and the give him an answer. This decision plagued me. first female to serve as President of the Chicago What to do? Gift Show. Never thinking of slowing down, Helen Little Offers Big Incentive is known in the business and local community While I was in Washington, Will Little, the as a person who can “make things happen,” and president of the company that I worked with, a person who “gets the job done.” We sat down with Helen recently, as she reflected on an 18-year Board of directors (October 1981), with Helen Overly front and center. flew in for three hours to attend a board meeting. After the meeting he came into the office fundraising journey. where I was sitting. We chatted for a minute or W hy did I volunteer, or what made me volunteer for a fundraising job for Fulton County Medical Center? I’ve been asked that many times over. two. He casually asked what I was doing these days. “Are you still on the board of the hospital?” “No,” I said. “You’re way behind the times, Will. I have not been on that board for years, but funny that you should mention the hospital. We (notice

Before this current building was constructed, I received a call from then she said we) are going to build a new hospital and they have asked me to CEO Bob Murray (in 2002) inviting me to come to his office. He wanted to chair the fundraising committee. But I don’t think I can do it. I am way too talk with me. He and the CFO ( Jason Hawkins, who would later become the busy and don’t know anything about fundraising.” CEO) met with me to ask if I would serve as chair for the fundraising comWith that, he asked, “How much do you have mittee for a new hospital. There had been a lot of talk for a few years about to raise?” a new hospital but nothing was done. Now, they were ready to go. My very I replied, “Oh, about a million or million first thought was: I have no experience in fundraising, nor do I want to find and a half.” out about it. Number two, I was way too busy with many other things on my With that, he pulled his business card plate to consider taking on this job. out of his pocket and said, “If you will

As we talked, I asked, “How much do you have to raise?” do it, l will give you one percent.” I saw

The answer: $1.5 million. $15,000 flash in front of my eyes.

What I didn’t know until after I finally volunteered was that the board I exclaimed, “Oh, no, Will, now I have to had previously done a feasibility study and was told that we could raise $1 do it.” million, maybe, one and a half million dollars. Interesting that’s the amount In the great scheme of things, when they said we had to raise. I made the first mistake (laughing) by telling the building a hospital, $15,000 isn’t CEO I would think about it. That was the wrong thing to say … lets the door much, but when you have nothing wide open to being pushed through to a “yes” answer. and you’re offered $15,000, it’s

I was working for a trade show company and left the next day for Atlanta. huge. I told Mr. Murray when I got back I would give him an answer. My family Suddenly, I realized I had my said, “No, you are too busy.” My friends thought I was too busy, and I thought answer. Unless God wrote it on so, too. the wall, could the guidance

I am a person of faith and I prayed about it, asked for guidance and direcI had prayed for been made tion on what to do. any clearer? Interesting

Off I went off to Atlanta for a week, was busy there and really didn’t to note, Will Little didn’t think about it. Actually, I had completely forgotten about it until I was on know anyone in Fulton the plane coming back home. I suddenly remembered, “Oh my, I told him I County except Freda

Raker and me. It really was a gift to us to encourage me. I add, Will Little had worked with me in Chicago where I had a leadership position at the Chicago Gift Show. Thus, he believed I could do the job.

Soon after I said yes, the amount needed for the building project jumped to three million dollars and it didn’t stop there -- the target kept moving up and finally landed at 7 million dollars. That was until the Specialty Clinic was to be added and another million was raised.

I had a wonderful, hardworking small committee (team) that touched people with very big, giving hearts that made it possible to meet the goal and build a wonderful facility.

Yet, I knew nothing about fundraising. I read everything about it, talked to anyone with even a small amount of experience and was determined to meet, probably exceed, the goal. We needed support from every part of the county and our little committee needed to know friends and neighbors who they could contact. Marge Taylor was a fundraiser, who gave me a lot of information and introduced me to Paula Callery, who gave of her time and talent to teach me a few things.

Apples and Oversized Clothes

We sold apples in a bucket at the Fulton Fall Folk Festival (which she created) for $10 a pop. We sold 50 buckets. We thought that was a big deal. We had a clothing exchange business for a year that netted us $9,100. I started Weight Watchers in Fulton County, and a lot of women were losing weight so they were getting rid of their oversized clothing (laughs). But when you’re staring at a $7 million goal, selling apples and clothing isn’t the fast track (she laughs) to raising millions. How many people could we find for large gifts – I’m talking $50,000 and up? I really hated to ask for money (I know that’s hard to believe, she says laughing), but now how would I be bold enough to ask for $50,000, $100,000 and more?

The first thing we needed was a sign in the field with the wording: Future Home of Fulton County Medical Center. That was so important because there were quite a few naysayers who didn’t believe we needed a new facility, or didn’t believe we could raise the funds.

I received a call one day from an individual who wanted to donate one million dollars. Wow, one million dollars! Hold on, his buddies found out about his financial commitment and convinced him to pull the offer off the table. I decided it was time to put on my sales hat and visit him. Actually, it was a few visits with our CEO, and with the help of his sister he was persuaded to donate the one million dollars. That man was John Shimer, and I’m grateful to him and his sister, Catherine “Tat” Shimer.

There are so many stories and relationships that were built over the years. Keep in mind, we didn’t have a Foundation at the time. We did everything on the fly. There was talk about establishing a Foundation. Julia Elvey (Dovey) helped formulate some of the early fundraisers. Then along came Cheryl Brown, a development and fundraising expert who really laid the groundwork for the creation of the Foundation.

Now, the Foundation – in its 12th year – plays a vital role in supporting the Medical Center. What a great team we have in place at the Foundation, along with the Foundation Board.

Just look at all the cars and the people walking in and out of this facility. (She pauses, and tears stream down her face).

What am I the most proud of (as she repeats the question)? I am most proud of the people and the way they rallied around our vision for a new hospital. As always, when there is a big mountain to climb, there are the usual percentage of doubters. We had those, BUT we also had a bigger percentage of believers, and we stand on the shoulders of those believers and their big hearts. Without the big hearts of the people, we would have never made it. ■

Hargett is blessed with “67 Grandparents” at FCMC’s LTC

Each day block on the activity schedule for secured by the FCMC Foundation through the the month is filled. The events include Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Sunday morning church services each Services in 2016. Around March, the residents week with Pastor Dick Bernhard, an outing to are busily planting various flower and vegetable the Family Dollar Tree, “styles and smiles” hair seeds. It takes many of them back to a time when appointments and, of course, bingo. they were active in their gardens. And there are

Elisha Hargett smiles, greets a few residents no limitations in the greenhouse. Whether a with simple, yet affectionate shoulder taps as she resident is wheelchair bound or has limited limb maneuvers her way past them. She is checking on mobility, they can still dig in the dirt. them as they exercise, led by 101-year old Evelyn “Mom enjoys the greenhouse because she Reeder. You read that right: a 101-year old leading always had a lot of flowers at home,” said Marty the exercise class. Brown, whose 96-year-old mother Laverne has

Some call Elisha out by name, while others get been a resident for the past two years. “She enjoys her attention with simple eye contact. Pastor Bernhard’s services and even played the

Elisha makes time for them all as she is in her piano for them a few times. The trips to see the 13th year as the Activity Director. Christmas lights, fishing in Mercersburg … she

She says, “I am blessed with 67 grandparents.” loves it, and, of course, bingo. Win bingo, get a That is the number of residents in the Long Term candy bar – that’s a good day.” Care Facility at Fulton County Medical Center. “I “We want them to have a feeling of purpose,” love their generation and the stories they share. says Elisha. I love reminiscing with them. We can learn a lot Elisha Hargett with patient Mary Hanks. “Elisha does a wonderful job with the residents from them just by listening to their wonderful and their activities,” says Jocelyn Goodman, whose journeys.” mother Geraldine Palmer has been a resident for over two years. “The staff is The Makings of a Schedule pleasant and qualified. They take pride in their work. To be quite honest, this

Each month Elisha and the residents come together to discuss and plan is the only nursing home we had in mind for mother. Family and friends are ahead for future events as part of a residents’ council meeting. just a short distance away and we know she is getting great care.”

“We want their input because this is their home,” says Elisha. “We focus One thing Elisha does not get accustomed to is the passing of a resident. on categories such as social, spiritual, educational, exercise (both mind and She knows it’s inevitable, yet painful. She lost 10 “grandparents” in January of body), craft, baking, musical, reminiscing, something that’s purposeful and this year. “They deserve love and respect each day,” says Elisha, tearing up. “I something that’s new. Most, if not all, of the residents have been raised in a see them in their golden years. When I go to their (memorial) service, many rural culture with ties to agriculture, so we try to incorporate family, faith and times I see them as a different person because their friends and family will farming into our activities and programming as well.” bring out things they may have done earlier in their lives that we didn’t know

When it comes to off-campus outings, there are many resident variables about.” to consider: their transfer status, diets, and duration of the trip. They have Tablets, cell phones and Facebook a wide variety of trips so all residents can participate. A baseball game in Elisha laughs when she circles around to something she said earlier about Altoona may only accommodate a few of the residents, while an excursion knowing the resident population. around McConnellsburg with an ice cream stop would include more resi“We have a resident with a cell phone, a few have (computer) tablets and dents. Other annual excursions include a fishing trip and picnic to Mercerswe have one resident on Facebook,” laughs Elisha. “We were in an activity burg, various parades in and around the community, high school musicals, one day and we heard this noise coming from a resident. It was her celland shopping at nearby stores. The FCMC Auxiliary raised the money for the phone ringtone. So while we think they don’t know much about technology, special needs passenger van in 2010. we also can’t be fooled into thinking they don’t know much about it because Hargett “loves her job” more of them are learning.”

“We have to know our resident population and their capabilities,” says Home Away from Home Elisha, noting for example fall risk patients and the planning that she and On this given day, she helps a resident kick a ball by repositioning his leg. her staff do to assist them in and out of their rooms to other rooms. “I started She takes time to visit resident Evelyn Lester in her room and is readying for at Fulton County Medical Center as an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Dr. Seuss Day. Elisha says her staff - Amber Nilson, Shiane Pittman (full-time the old facility. When we moved to the new campus, I became the Activities recreational therapists) and Pam Suders (part-time activity assistant) try their Director. Having been in the therapist’s role, I could see the residents’ abilities best to accommodate the needs for each resident. rather than focus on their disabilities. We find the positives of each of our “This is their home and we, including the volunteers, must respect their residents.” home,” says Elisha. “We knock before we enter their room, we offer them a

One of the on-campus activities that is popular with the residents is variety of activities and make it the best experience for them as their home working in the greenhouse. The greenhouse was made possible from a grant away from home.” ■