Summer 2020 Newsletter
St. Luke's Foundation Impact Report Foundation Mission Statement The mission of UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s Foundation is to support UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids in giving the health care we’d like our loved ones to receive.
News & Information Even if health care looks and feels different than before, it's important to know you can still receive care related to chronic conditions, routine needs like wellness visits and vaccines, or medical emergencies. We’re offering the option of virtual visits, alongside our clinics and emergency departments, while reminding our communities that we’re always here, showing up—every single day.
Thank you for your support!
COVID-19 DONATION OVERVIEW
31,500+ CLOTH MASKS FROM
43 STATES
$251,157 COVID COMPASSION FUND
21,000+ MASKS & SHIELDS
700+ SELF-CARE COMFORT BAGS
Tonya and Dr. Dustin Arnold accepting food donations from United Iowa Financial
9,000 MEALS to
TEAM MEMBERS from
33
local restaurants Our very own St. Luke's Hospital frontline workers
Superhero Celebration As a child, Sarah Meyers knew she wanted to work in a profession that makes a difference in people’s lives. Now as a nurse in St. Luke’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Sarah has found herself on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19. She and others work in a special ICU providing direct care for COVID-19 patients in need of ventilators or other critical care. “Most days are spent inside our sectioned-off area,” Sarah explains. “We wear gowns, gloves, N95 masks, hair covers and face shields. We’re also becoming more innovative and using our critical thinking skills to provide the best care for our patients.” These frontline workers don’t consider themselves superheroes. But others feel differently—including Lisa and Tom Meyers. Of course, as Sarah’s parents, they’re a little biased. And when Sarah’s birthday rolled around in April, they were determined to make the day special for their daughter and the rest of St. Luke’s COVID-19 team.
Sarah Meyers smiling from the ICU
Lisa and Tom delivered 60 cupcakes and a giant bag of Life Savers mints to Sarah and her coworkers. A handwritten note addressed to the staff proclaimed, “You are superheroes! You risk your health & that of your family to help others. Thank you!”
Sarah says, “Who doesn’t love a cupcake, especially sent with love. And being called a superhero warms my heart, especially coming from them.” She adds, “I think my parents are superheroes, too. They and everyone in the community who social distance and wear masks in public make a huge impact in slowing the spread of COVID-19. In this, we can all be superheroes.” You can be a superhero when you support lifesaving care at St. Luke’s. Every donor makes an impact on the care we provide during this unprecedented time of need. For more information, call St. Luke’s Foundation at (319) 369-7716 or make a donation at unitypoint.org/donate.
Special notes on her cupcakes from Sarah's family
Tom Meyers delivering birthday cupcakes and Life Savers mints to his daughter, Sarah
Making a Difference, One Mask at a Time For Dianna Harvey, it started when a friend in Texas told her JO-ANN Stores offered fabric kits for making masks for healthcare providers. Dianna, who lives within walking distance of UnityPoint Clinic in Ankeny, decided to put her sewing and quilting skills to work. “There are specific criteria for masks for healthcare workers,” Diana recalls. “When I found an instructional video online and realized it was produced by UnityPoint Health in Cedar Rapids, I reached out to Mary Klinger, president of St. Luke’s Foundation. Mary told me this pandemic was a marathon, not a sprint, and their need for masks would be ongoing. I just started cranking them out! I’ve sent over 200 masks to UnityPoint Health so far and I have 100 more ready to go. Plus I told my friend in Texas and he sent a box of 50 masks, too!” The video that inspired Dianna demonstrates how to make the Olson mask. Designed by St. Luke’s team members to help keep our clinicians safe, the mask was developed in generate@UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids. It’s a medical technology and learning lab made possible by a $500,000 gift to St. Luke’s Foundation from the estate of Viola Reth. Mary says the Foundation has received more than 31,000 masks so far. She adds, “They’ve come from 43 states, plus Canada, Puerto Rico, even Malaysia and India! People like Dianna donate their time and material to sew the basic masks. Then they send them to us where volunteers from St. Luke’s Auxiliary finish them.” Eleonora Rieck is one of those volunteers. A life member of the St. Luke's Auxiliary since 1983, Eleonora had started making her own masks when the pandemic started and gave them to family and friends. Now she does the finishing work on masks donated to St. Luke’s from around the world. Eleonora says, “I finish the masks, wash and iron them and add the elastic so they’re ready to be used. I’m going to do as many as I can, for as long as I can. I’ve always enjoyed being at the hospital and helping patients and visitors. This is another way I can make a difference.”
Dianna Harvey with her masks
Eleonora Rieck helps to finish masks
Dianna Harvey agrees. “I’m very happy and proud to do it,” she says. “It is the least I can do.” Do you want to put your sewing skills to work to help others in our community? Call St. Luke’s Foundation at (319) 369-7716 to receive a pattern and instructions for making and donating the Olson mask.
Thank you to all the sewing volunteers from around the world who donated masks!
Saying Thank You to an Amazing Team In a way, John Clouse has COVID-19 to thank for helping save his life. The virus outbreak meant John’s wife Patricia was home instead of at work when the 70-year-old retiree started having breathing problems in late March. “I’m not one that likes to go to the doctor,” John explains. “But it got to the point where I couldn’t walk down the hall. That’s when Pat took me to St. Luke’s.” John has been to St. Luke’s before, for everything from a heart attack to cancer care. This time he was impressed with how quickly the St. Luke’s team mobilized around him. “It was just bang, bang, bang once I got there,” he recalls. John was rushed from the ER to Imaging Services for a CT scan, where doctors discovered life-threatening blood clots in his lungs. That was followed by emergency surgery and a stay in the Intensive Care Unit.
John and Pat Clouse delivering pizzas to the St. Luke's team who helped save his life
John says, “You’ve got to hand it to them. Everyone at St. Luke’s was amazing. The helicopter team happened to be in the ER when I arrived and they pitched in, too. Everyone was concerned about me and I didn’t want that to go unnoticed.” After John returned home, he and Pat decided to show their appreciation in a tangible way. They ordered 13 pizzas and took them to St. Luke’s to be shared by the departments that worked together to save John’s life. Later the couple was touched when they received thank you cards signed by the staff.
“I’m just one person and I knew they had a lot of patients there, especially with COVID-19 going on,” says John. “But I wanted them to realize I appreciate everything they did. When the doctor showed me the CT results, he said I should be dead. Now thanks to my amazing team, I’m starting on a second life!”
Blessed to Give “We can bless somebody even if we never know who they are.” Those are the words of one of our neighbors in Cedar Rapids—one of many individuals in our community who have stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic. At St. Luke’s Foundation, we feel blessed by these acts of generosity large and small. Tonya Arnold, director of grants and administration at St. Luke’s Foundation, recalls the day she got a call from the Cedar Rapids woman we’ll call “Lynette.” Lynette’s daughter, a nurse who lives out of state, was diagnosed with COVID-19 early in the pandemic. As Tonya explains, “Lynette told me she couldn’t be with her own daughter to take care of her, but she felt the need to do something. She thought about the nurses here in Cedar Rapids, so she asked her daughter what they might like. Of course the answer was food!” Lynette mentioned that Lightworks Café was one of her favorite restaurants. Her donation to the Foundation provided a delicious taco dinner for St. Luke’s nurses while also helping to support a local business. But her generosity didn’t end there.
Environmental Services team members are grateful for the hand lotion
Lynette also purchased 150 individual containers of hand lotion. Then she recruited her sister and friends from church to help her attach thank you cards to the bottles. The lotion was given to members of St. Luke’s Environmental Services team.
“I know they’re very caring people,” Lynette says. “Perhaps one of them was feeling alone and unloved that day, but he or she could look up to the sky and say someone is thinking of me.” Lynette herself is grateful her daughter has fully recovered and is back to work. She adds, “Sometimes we see bad things going on and we don’t know what to do. I’m blessed that God provided for me to be able to help the hospital and the people who work there. It felt really good!”
A thankful caregiver, knowing someone was thinking of her
Neighbor Helping Neighbor Phil Rezin founded Midwest Microwave Solutions (MMS) in 2005. Today the Hiawatha-based company and its 32 employees specialize in manufacturing innovative products for the defense industry. But they also make time to help their neighbors in Eastern Iowa. “As a company, we try to look out for the community when there’s a need,” explains Phil. “During this pandemic, we wanted to say thank you to hospitals and first responders.” Phil and his team knew that food is especially appreciated by busy personnel working long hours. In fact, MMS had been providing weekly meals for their own staff ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, including bringing in sandwiches from Jimmy John’s.
Frontline health care workers happy to have a tasty lunch!
“We decided to see if we could do boxed lunches from Jimmy John’s for hospitals,” Phil recalls. “Because everything is prepackaged, it’s safer than ordering giant subs for everyone to share.” In mid-April, MMS donated 200 boxed lunches—$1,500 worth—to team members. Phil says, “Our employees are aware of the contributions we make to our community and their overwhelming response is to thank us for doing that. In fact, they tell us it meant more to them for us to send lunches to the hospital than bringing in lunch for them!” He adds, “I think the rallying of community support is one of the positive things to have come out of the pandemic. It’s really a case of neighbor helping neighbor. And hopefully that will continue long after we have a vaccine and this is all behind us.”
Community Partner Support Quaker Oats has been a part of our community for more than 140 years and partners with UnityPoint Health for health services for their employees. So, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Cedar Rapids area, Quaker responded by delivering 100 delicious dinners featuring brisket, pulled pork and ribs, on May 3 to St. Luke’s Hospital.
Employees from Quaker Oats delivering hot meals!
“Quaker has a long-standing commitment to serve the communities in which we live and work,” explains Allen Stekl, a manager at Quaker Oats and a member of VALOR, Pepsico’s Veterans Employee Resource Group. “In these unprecedented times, we felt it was especially important to show our support for the healthcare workers in our community.” The local VALOR group led the effort to provide hot meals to St. Luke’s and thank them for outstanding service to our community. Allen says eight volunteers, including Quaker employees, veterans and a cafeteria chef, helped coordinate the dinners. Allen adds, “The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive. Many different departments in the hospital sent us kind notes and cards thanking us for donating a nice warm meal.”
Thank you to the following businesses for your generous support! Abode Construction Ace Hardware Alliant Energy Foundation Appleby & Horn Aspen Dental Benchmark Bickford Assisted Living Black Sheep Bridge Community Bank BrightStar Care Brother Sister Bakery Building Resource Group Cardinal Health Carlos O'Kelly's Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust Cedar Rapids Country Club Cedar Rapids General Mills Team supporting #MarchforBabies Cedar Rapids Pediatric Dentistry Cedar Ridge Distillery Cedar Valley Outfitters Cedar Valley Pathologists P.C. Central Iowa Power Cooperative Chick-Fil-A - Westdale and Lindale Chinese Association of Iowa Clarke & Associates Prosthetics and Orthotics Climate Engineers Cobank Collins Aerospace Corn Fusion Corridor Crossing Place Country House Residence Culver's Lawn & Landscape Culver's Restaurant DA Bunch Danisco US Inc (Dupont) Danville Community School District Dental Prosthetic Services Domino's Pizza Dr. Erik Balster Dr. Katie Milden Dusty Swehla @ Panda Marie Dye Family Dentistry Eastern Iowa Health Center ECIAC El Bajio Mexican Restaurant Elite Orthodontics Elmcrest Country Club Emery Place EPIC ESCO Group F.J. Krob Farmers State Bank Feiereisen, Inc Firehouse Subs - Westdale First Church of the Open Bible Fittings Unlimited Foth Infrastructure and Environment
General Mills Girl Scouts of Eastern IA/Western IL Gospel Light Baptist Church Graham Construction Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation Harbor Freight Tools Heather Hingtgen, Baker His Hands Clinic Home Depot Homewood Suites Horton Dental Hotel at Kirkwood Hy-Vee ImOn Communications Invision Architecture, Ltd. Iowa Corn Growers Association Iowa Corn Promotion Board Iowa Hospital Association Iowa Precision Concrete Jersey Mike's Jimmy John's Jimmy Z's Bar Keurig Dr. Pepper KHAK La Cantina Bar & Grill Lebeda Mattress Lefty's Tattoo Studio Lightworks Linn Co-op Little Caesar's Pizza Loosie's Lowe's Lucky Penny March of Dimes/Nick's Bar & Grill Marion Methodist Church MediaQuest MedQuarter Mestek Machinery Midwest Microwave Solutions Mobile Demand Mt. Mercy University Need Pizza Nelson Electric Co. Nicole @ Monroe & Company Novak Electric NXT Bank O'Donnell Ace Hardware One Mission Fundraising, Inc. Pack 88 Cub Scouts Panera Bread Pappa John's PDI Products Pepper Jack's Grill Pipe Pro Pita'z Pizza Ranch Popoli Ristorante
Presentations, Inc PretzelMaker Quaker Oats Quality Auto & State Farm Quiznos Raining Rose Raytheon Technologies/Operations & Supply Chain Rockwell Collins Airport Div Rodina Roscoe's Pizza Schneider Electric Seasons Family Dental Care Sherwin Williams Shuttleworth & Ingersoll, P.L.C. Skogman Cares St. George Orthodox Church St. Luke's Auxiliary St. Luke's Chemical Dependency St. Luke's Foundation St. Luke's Gift Shop St. Luke's TIES Program Starbucks StoneyPoint Meadows Assisted Living/ Memory Care Subway Tanager Stearns Target The Views Third Grade Coolidge Girl Scout Troop 2043 Trimble Iowa Fun Committee True North Employees U.S. Bank, Cedar Rapids Union Station & Budweiser Unique Events United Iowa Financial UnityCR - Elayne Fisher Community Cupboard UnityPoint Clinic - Multi-Specialty US Bank - Wealth Management Team Veritas Church Via Sofia's Village Cooperative of West Des Moines Voss Distributing Weaton Capital Westridge Care Center Whiskey Jo’s Wild Hogs Saloon & Eatery Wright Salon and Co Zio Johnos This listing is intended to acknowledge all gifts received between March and June 2020 in support of our team members during this pandemic. We make every effort to accurately report your gifts. If we need to make a correction, please contact us at (319) 369-7716 or CR_Foundation@unitypoint.org. This list of donor names is available at unitypoint.org/cedarrapids/st-lukes-foundation.
Thank you to the following individuals for your generous support! Janice and Franklin Albury Robert and Elizabeth Allsop Karen and Alexander Alt Margaret Anderson Dr. Dustin and Tonya Arnold Terry Arons Jan Axtell Sargent Major Gordon Baker and Sherry Brustkern Charlie and Pat Becker Kimberly Beckman Joan Berends Carol Beresford Barbara and Jim Berquam Luca Berrone Todd Betzer Dave Bibby (World's Finest Chocolates) Rachel Blackford and Neighbors Valerie Boddicker Sondra Lea Bolsinger-Lamb and Richard Lamb Reverend Robert and Sheryl Bouton Myrt and William Bowers Dian and Carlos Boysen Nancy Brauhn Lisa Brekke Ryan Broderson Walter Brown Sabrina Brummet Amy Brunner John and Judy Bryant Mary Buelow Lois and Bob Buntz David Buresh Dr. Stephen Burke Shawn Carey-Drager Lindsey Carpenter Friends of Dr. Carter Angelo and La Vonne Carter Anne Carter Steven and Suzanne Caves Samuel Charles Dawn Christensen Terri Christoffersen Greg and Terri Churchill Diana and Joe Cira Jim and Brenda Clancy Jerry and Adella Cleveland John and Patricia Clouse Darwin and Elizabeth Coleman Diane Conti Stephanie Cory Lori Coster and Jen Noe Roger Cousins Kaylyn Croshier William Cruise Matt Curtis Bridget Davis Chris Davis Betty Debban
John and Angie DeJong Marilyn DeLange Sandy Delay Wanda Detert Michelle Deuso Kim Dirks Joyce and Don Dixson Dennis Drake Darlene and Harold Duckett Sandra Dupler Teresa Dutton Randy and Dodie Easton Glenn and Grace Ebert Samantha Eckes Jim Edmunds Diane Eimen Elias Elias Marilyn Enos Dr. Susan Enzle Kathryn and Stephen Epley Dave Ernst Lynette Faaborg Jennie Fisher Robert Fletcher Russell Fogle Judy Ford Betty Forrest Deb and Stacey Frank Joan Franklin Craig and Darla Fricke Jo Ellen Frommelt Kasey Frommelt Lyle Gerdemann Faye Gerner Katie Giorgio Chelsey Gombert Richard Goodall Tammera Gorton Marilyn Gott Sally and Steve Gray Casey Greene and Family Anne and Doug Gruenewald Jeffrey Gunderson Brad Hackett Lynda Haddy Stacey Halyard Family of Cherith Hamilton Michelle and Stacy Hand Danielle Hanna Kenneth Hanna Beverly and David Hannon Dr. Emilie Hansen Celina Hanson Beverly Harms Annjanette Hart Madlyne Hartwig Bill and Tiffany Harvat Scott Hassenstab Anita and Jim Haughenbury
Steve Hauschilt Amanda and Jake Heeren Randy and Vicki Heeren Family of Paige Heffernen Sally Hendrickson Kevin Hessing The Hickerson Family Marlene Hill Sharon Hill Jared and Carol Hills Heather Hingtgen Dot Hinman Lisa Hobart Karl Hoech Hannah Hoepner Marcia and James Holley Cheryl Hollingsworth Shirley and Bill Holtey Kate Homire Kathy Horan Jennifer Houlihan Carla and Daniel Huber Velma Huebner Shalyn Huerter Senator Merlin Hulse Gingie Hunstad Jason and Linda Hunt Keegan Hutchins Kent and Joy Jackson Bonnie Jones Coleen Junge Nadine Karlan Chris Kascel Lester Kephart Linda Kettner Friend of Michelle Kiesey Arthur King Lore Klehn Carmen and Mike Kleinsmith Monica Klemm Tracy and Dan Klendworth Angie Kline Dr. Mark and Gwen Kline Mary Klinger Julie Klostermann Jacquelyn Knustrom Joan and Robert Kocher Wendy Kohl Nancy Koop Kaitie Kristiansen Lisa Kristiansen Sharon Krousie Roger Krug Linda Kruger Jim and Peggy Kubczak Douglas and Sharon Laird Kathy and John Lamb Judith and Francis Lebeda Jess Lehman
Janet and Richard Lesan Dr. Donnie Linder Friends of Dr. Linder William Loeffers Ann Long Bill Long Joan Lorence Dr. Nancy Lorenzini and Dr. Keith Kopec Kristine Magill Pamela Mahany Graham Mahon Anthony Maiers Larry Maiers Shivani Manikandan Pam Mann Dennis and Alice Mans Midhat and Farham Mansoor Roger Marconi Kristin Maury Lura and Ryan McBride Tara McDonald David and Ruth Mcguire Robert and Gloria McMahan Barbara McMickle Jean Means Mary Means Dennis and Cindy Merritt Michael Mescon Tom and Lisa Meyers Nancy Meyn Doreen and Donald Michel Dr. Katie Milden and Jonathan Schroeder Linda Millard Dan and Kay Mineck Kate and Dick Minette Robin and Jon Mixdorf Doris Molitor Dale and Cheryl Moore Paula and Thomas Moran Robert and Susan Moran Jill and Kevin Morgan Angela Moss Dennis Mullarkey Gene and Jeanie Neighbor Greg and Debbie Neumeyer Lance Newitt Michelle and Steve Niermann Nancy Novotny and Erin Yates Charlene O'Brien Jerry and Willa O'Connor Mark Ogden and Iris Muchmore Jill Oldham Ryder Thomas and Dixie Olmstead Christopher Olsen Doug and Melanie Olson Scott and Penny Olson Sherri O'Neil-Conrad Mary Ann and Sam Osborn Karen Osenbaugh Scott and Jan Overland Ann Overton Anne and David Parmley Mr. Nilesh Patel
Margaret Paxton Joyce Pealer Ruth Pearson Tammy Perez and Gus Borwig Steve Petersen Dr. Andy and Diane Peterson Jim and Marilyn Podgorski Kathy Potnter Jeff and Kelly Pottebaum Bill Prowell and Sarah Halbrook Deborah Pugesek Richard Raddatz Dale and Caryl Rammelsberg Gwen Randall Julie Raymond Natalie Rees Brian Reynolds Sarah and Richard Rheinschmidt Tina Rice Carol and Ernie Rigel Arthur Riley Lee Robinson Kathy Rohr Ervin and Cynthia Root Julie Rubalcava Cindy and Paul Sale Officer Shannon Sampson Leslee Sandberg LouAnne and Duane Sands Family of Robin Saunders Nancy and Jim Schoeben Dr. Jennifer Schubert and Daniel Bissell Jane Schuman Mary Schuman Rose Schwichtenberg Brian and Molly Scott Margaret and Thomas Sears Dan and Patti Seda Eugene Severson Jim and Jennie Shanklin Thomas Shea Rhoda and Kent Shepherd Ron Sherwood Nancy Shields Justin Shields Pat Shilhanek James and Joyce Shover Nina Simmons Jane Sims Sally Sklarsky Chris and Nikki Skogman Drew and Jo Ann Skogman Rick and Marilyn Skogman Nancy and John Skogsbergh David and Barbara Slager Don and Coletta Slezak Diane Smith Laura Smith Ida and Peter Sorensen Gary and Susan Speicher Dean and Deb Spina Betsy Stahl Susie Stallman
Robert and Linda Steen Gary and Cynthia Steflik Dr. Mark and Roxann Steine Karen Stoll Dan and Anne Strellner Dr. Lori and Rick Sundberg Dr. Sundermann and Friends Dusty Swehla Mary and Bruce Taylor Scott Teff Sue and David Tesdahl Diane Thompson Pete and Mimi Thompson Diane Thompson Linda and Chris Thompson Bruce and Jan Thorsen Timothy and Carolyn Petersen Jane and Larry Tjaden Family of Jaime Townsend Ted and Cathy Townsend Cathy Troll Sharon Troy Mary and Steve Trumpold Jennifer Tuetken Kevin Uhde Dr. Stephen and Peg Vanourny Kevin and Jolene Vermeer Rocky Visser Jennifer Vyas Betty Wagner Dr. Steven Wahle and Dr. JoAnn German Wahle Jonathan Walsh Steve Ward Philip and Caren Wasta Dr. Gil and Mary Wessel Kim Wheat Keith Whipple Jim White Laiken Whitters Constance Wigger Family of Breyona Willenborg Neighbors of Teresa Williams Paul and Gail Williams Teresa Wilson Friends of Gabe Winter Harlan and Shirley Witte Kathy Wolfe Frances Woods Kristine and Steven Yahn Nathalie Yanna Fathalla Omar Zaghloul Linda Zimmerman D.W. and Elaine Zuber Janet and Thomas Zuber This listing is intended to acknowledge all gifts received between March and June 2020 in support of our team members during this pandemic. We make every effort to accurately report your gifts. If we need to make a correction, please contact us at (319) 369-7716 or CR_Foundation@unitypoint.org. This list of donor names is available at unitypoint.org/cedarrapids/st-lukes-foundation.
A Valuable Perspective from a Special Friend Norma Newmeister has been a friend to St. Luke’s Hospital, Foundation and Auxiliary for almost 50 years. In 2014, Norma and her late husband, Lumir, created the Norma Newmeister Scholarship to assist St. Luke’s associates. Norma, Lumir and their sons also provided the initial funding for the Healing Power of Art project. In her most recent note to the Foundation, Norma reflects on some lessons learned over the past nine decades.
“I was pleasantly surprised and pleased to receive your special card and the pretty print mask. We are required to wear masks when leaving our apartments. I have learned to respect those who are required to wear them for a lengthy amount of time. I count my blessings every day. I have 24 family members caring for me, I have many friends I keep in touch with (though not in person), and I have many happy memories from my years of hospital volunteering. As sad as it was for us to give up our home, Lumir and I received a welcoming from many of the St. Luke’s family who reside here at Meth-Wick Community, and that made the transition easy for us. I miss family coming plus the beautician. I noticed men are discussing their hair on TV now, which is a first! Meals are delivered to our door, and we receive a treat every afternoon. The cleaning girls are great and I enjoy their brief company.
Some of the beautiful masks donated from our community and around the world!
Looking back, I remember my own senior year was spoiled with WWII approaching. People were not confined, but we had to learn to exist without many things plus there was rationing. It took a while after the war for industry to return. I wanted a sewing machine and had to go on a waiting list, as we did for other appliances. We started building our house and could only get gas pipe for cooking. Fortunately, Lumir was able to locate the pipe he needed to install the furnace. When I see all the shoes in stores today, I think of the one pair I had when shoes and leather goods were rationed. I think of you often and miss all, the book sale and gift shop. I realize it is a very stressful time, but you all are heroes, and hopefully the best is yet to come. Thank you for caring about me. I will think of you with much love each time I wear the mask. Hope to see you soon.”
Norma and Lumir attending a Foundation celebration
Norma and Lumir in their younger years
A Fundraiser with Heart Frontline workers at UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids have been going above and beyond to help our patients since the COVID-19 outbreak began. But even as they have been taking care of others, some team members have faced hardships themselves. At St. Luke’s Foundation, we responded with the COVID Compassion Fund, a new initiative to support UnityPoint Health-Cedar Rapids employees adversely impacted by the pandemic. At the same time, Kara Stineman, clinic administrator at UnityPoint Clinic – Pediatrics in Hiawatha, had been thinking about what she could do to help her co-workers. Kara was familiar with One Mission, a fundraising company based in Mount Vernon. She turned to them to set up an online store offering custom t-shirts in support of UnityPoint Health team members. One Mission created the design—a rainbow of hearts—based on Kara’s original idea. All money raised goes to the Foundation’s new COVID Compassion Fund. “Getting the shirt sales going the same time the Compassion Fund started was perfect timing,” Kara says. “I set a goal of raising $20,000 but never thought we would reach that. I am shocked and ecstatic at how well it’s gone!” In fact, “Hearts for Healthcare” shirts have raised $40,000 for the COVID Compassion Fund. Amanda Rhomberg, One Mission co-founder, calls it the most successful fundraiser in their history. “By far, it’s sold the most shirts of any fund we’ve ever had. I spot people wearing them everywhere. We’re thrilled to be a part of it!” Because UnityPoint Health team members can wear them to work, associates throughout the system have ordered multiple tees. Explains Danielle Rauser, St. Luke’s Foundation development director, “Employees from Illinois and Wisconsin as well as Iowa are buying the shirts. They love them and the public does, too! All the dollars raised go to support our team members right here in the Cedar Rapids area.” “This fundraiser would not have been successful if we didn’t pull together as a community to make it work,” adds Kara. “In the beginning of the pandemic, I think a lot of people felt pretty hopeless. This was an opportunity to help the people who are taking care of our loved ones, and get a cute shirt, too. Plus it make's our health care workers feel supported and loved.”
Order your “Hearts for Healthcare” shirts at onemission.fund/support/covid-compassion-fund and 40 percent of the proceeds go to the St. Luke’s Foundation COVID Compassion Fund.
NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE PAID CEDAR RAPIDS, IA PERMIT 382
P.O. Box 3026 Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-3026 Return Service Requested
Ways to support our patients and families St. Luke’s Foundation is grateful for the overwhelming offers of support pouring in from our amazing communities that we serve! Many are asking for ways to support our team members and patients. We love our health care workers and we are glad you do too! Here are a few other opportunities for you to choose from: •Donate to support mental health services •Use your sewing skills to help make masks •Donate new or gently used children’s books •Donate yarn for baby hats for our tiniest patients •Sponsor the "virtual" Grow Happy Community Cancer Center fundraiser •Sponsor a holiday tree displayed inside St. Luke’s Hospital to beautify the hospital •Purchase hearing monitors for Palliative Care •Donate to support the Child Protection Center •Donate to support the Dental Health Center
Our very own St. Luke's Hospital frontline workers
We are so grateful for your incredible support! Thank you!
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