Message from Rachelle Bussell One of the special privileges that working in philanthropy affords is seeing people make a difference in others’ lives. Observing the impact of a donor’s gift fills my heart to overflowing! True, heart-felt giving on the part of the donor, often for someone who will never know the giver, truly changes lives. Throughout Vision 2020 we have seen incredible stories of giving told in a way that can never be forgotten: • Children remembering or honoring a parent that inspired their walk in life through education or service. • Parents who have lost a child and want to keep their legacy alive by supporting research or services that others will need. • Alumni who received a scholarship to support their way through school and now are inspired to give back to the next generation. • Community members who have benefited from or heard a miraculous story of care and healing and are moved to donate in order to ensure this special care continues. To those who trust us, thank you; the joy of giving is a sacred honor. Many on the philanthropy team have personally experienced a donor’s tears of joy at being able to do something meaningful for a cause they hold dear. Most often, deep, heart-felt giving comes from a place of personal experience. Their exceptional stories give us the responsibility to ensure we use the donated funds to the best of our ability, and to share with the donor the impact of their gift. During Vision 2020 God has poured out blessings through thousands of people who embraced this mission. A team of amazing professionals in
Advancement have worked together to share the stories, the vision and to provide a way for people to get involved. This team has my deepest respect, and I know God has blessed each member of this team in every role. When we look back at this history, I believe what will be most remembered are the stories of people who gave sacrificially from personal blessings out of heartfelt love. This organization accepted a bold vision in an unprecedented way, and as the team worked to make connections with friends, blessings ensued to make a true difference for generations to come. We built buildings during Vision 2020, hospitals to serve this community and to educate generations of healthcare workers. We were able to fund scholarships and chairs to build a pathway for ongoing education. But what we really built was a broad community of love in action. This will have a huge impact on generations to come who will receive healing, care and education. This is an honor I never dreamed would be so personally meaningful. Advancement team, volunteers, donors and leadership, you are the best! With deepest respect I thank this team, and together we are grateful to God and each person who helped make this incredible dream such a success!
Rachelle Bussell, MA, RN, CFRE Senior Vice President for Advancement
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