Grass Valley, Calif. December 18, 2020 – The unprecedented effects of COVID-19 have made philanthropy and support of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital more important than ever. As the pandemic has continued to impact western Nevada County, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation has been able to quickly pivot in order to ensure the Hospital’s most immediate needs are fulfilled.
Since March 2020, SNMH Foundation staff answered hundreds of calls from people wanting to make facemasks, face mask accessories, face shields, and scrub caps. Food and supply donations have been regularly dropped off and over $28,000 in cash donations have been made to our SNMH COVID Relief Fund.
Despite the global pandemic, during our fiscal year of 2019 through 2020, SNMH Foundation was able to continue to provide needed resources to our community. Our Read me a Story program put 3,462 books in the hands of children throughout Nevada County. Our Alzheimer’s Outreach program provided 130 one-on-one client visits and 36 support group sessions. Our Social Outreach program that provides intervention strategies to adults suffering with depression served over 60 new clients. Our Falls Prevention Program educated over 500 individuals on how to prevent falling. Our Comfort Cuisine Program charged with providing meals to cancer patients prepared over 850 meals.
In addition, we concluded a campaign to raise $2 million for a much-needed transformation of our Hospital’s Emergency Department. Also, in 2020, SNMH Foundation was able to raise $150,000 for new, state-of-the-art mammography equipment for the Women’s Imaging Center, as well as $72,000 for new fetal heart rate monitors and a resuscitation warmer for neonatal infants in the Family Birth Center.
Support for SNMH Foundation has come in a variety of ways including individual giving, corporate and business support, grants, clubs and organizations, estate and planned giving, our Wheels for Wellness vehicle donation program, direct mail, online giving, newsletters, our Community Business Partners program, Share the Spirit Hospital Employee Giving program, stock and IRA gifts, annual and community events, and our Red Rose Society donors.
Despite COVID restrictions SNMH Auxiliary was able to donate a total of 5,321.50 hours of service to SNMH. SNMH Foundation volunteers continue to provide office support, assistance with mailings, committee support, and COVID 19 supply support such as mask-making. Despite COVID, 1,600 SNMH Foundation volunteer hours have been logged.
SNMH Foundation Executive Director Kimberly Parkers says as 2020 ends continuing to provide access to high-quality, community healthcare is more important than ever.
“Because it’s tough to predict what will happen in 2021, we have focused on our Area of Greatest Need Fund, which provides the ability to direct dollars to the Hospital’s highest priorities,” said Parker. “Each year the SNMH Foundation Board coordinates with the Hospital to determine the greatest needs. Throughout the years, Area of Greatest Needs funding has supported nearly every Hospital department including cardiac, cancer, stroke, surgery, emergency, family birth center, and more.”
Parker continued, “However, if there is an area of the Hospital near and dear to your heart, we encourage you to give to what touches you most. We are also raising money for equipment for our cancer center and respiratory department.”
As we celebrate the approach of the New Year and begin to navigate 2021, our community can help support our local Hospital by visiting supportsierranevada.org/donate or calling (530) 477-9700. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated. One hundred percent of your donation goes directly to the project or program of your choosing and not one penny goes toward administrative fees.
For more information on SNMH Foundation, please visit supportsierranevada.org or give us a call at (530) 477-9700.