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Helping Those in Need
The Catholic Health Caregivers Fund was initiated by Catholic Health employees to assist fellow caregivers who struggle to obtain basic resources to care for those desperately in need. More than $2,000,000 has been raised to support the work of medical providers coping with difficult conditions. Catholic Health donates all administrative costs so that recipients receive 100% of contributions.
Caregivers Fund Success Stories
The Maternity of Kikombo, located in the rural Diocese of Kikwit in the Democratic Republic of Congo, had only a few metallic beds without mattresses. The center, dirty with walls falling apart, was unsafe and in dire need of repair and renovation. Women were reluctant to come for prenatal consultation, labor and the birth of their babies.
Help Kikwit, with a grant from Catholic Health Caregivers Fund, provided the religious sisters (who run The Maternity of Kikombo) with the necessary means to repair and renovate. The maternity unit now has new beds and mattresses. All walls are now fixed and well-painted. The building for prenatal consultation and breast feeding classes is repaired as well. The Maternity of Kikombo has again become an appealing place for women and their families to come for care.
In the past, nurses traveled to surrounding villages to convince women to come to The Maternity of Kikombo for prenatal consultations, breast feeding classes and the birth of their babies. But they were never eager to come. The mothers, before the maternity renovation, preferred to give birth at home. Many babies and mothers died or were badly infected. Now, because of Catholic Health Caregivers Fund, nurses can care for pregnant women in a safe environment. Numerous lives are being saved daily.
One nurse shared the amazement of one mother who came to visit her daughter who gave birth in the renovated maternity unit and asked: “Where had the beautiful beds and mattresses been for all the past years since women used to sleep on the floor when they came for consultation or labor and delivery?" She went on to say: “I am happy that, unlike when I came to give birth here almost 30 years ago, the maternity is renovated with mattresses on the beds where mothers can sleep comfortably with their babies. This is now a beautiful and safe place to come for labor and delivery." She thanked God and praised the leaders for making the place so comfortable. The nurse asked her to pray for Catholic Health Caregivers Fund’s contributors.
The nurse in charge shared that many women are now coming for prenatal consultations and breast feeding classes. They are giving birth where they can sleep on a bed and mattress. Their ministry to mothers in the villages is now easier. They are grateful for the significant change that Catholic Health Caregivers Fund is making in their rural community.
Ester (center front) is pictured with Eileen Randolph (center back), Keri Logan (second from left), DMD, director of the Stephen B. Gold Dental Clinic, Jonathan Schneider (right), DMD, the resident who performed the treatment, and MaryAnn Wolfinger (second from right), the clinic's office manager.
Ester used to be self-conscious about her smile. She would cover her mouth every time she talked because she had so few teeth. She never imagined having the confidence to actually smile until the opportunity arose to have an evaluation at the Stephen B. Gold Dental Clinic at St. Charles Hospital (Port Jefferson, NY). For six months, Eileen Randolph, a Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Long Island volunteer, drove Ester to the clinic for necessary restorative care. Eileen is now a close family friend.
A $10,000 grant awarded by the Catholic Health Caregivers Fund allowed a partnership between the dental clinic and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Long Island to help Long Islanders who cannot afford or access proper dental treatment. This grant provided for an initial evaluation, X-rays and cleaning. In support of this worthy cause, St. Charles Hospital covered the cost of Ester’s dentures, illustrating how collaborative efforts serve those most in need.
Now, Ester is more comfortable with her new-found smile and is encouraging better dental health in her children.
“Sister, now when we get sick, will you take us in this vehicle to the hospital?” asked the children at the school operated by the Ursuline Sisters in Kartic, India.
Sr. Kripa, one of two nurses who staff the health center in Kartic, India, traveled long distances by bus or bicycle—or even on foot—to attend to people in surrounding villages. This is no longer the case thanks to the generosity of Catholic Health employees who contribute to the Catholic Health Caregivers Fund. Patients can be reached quickly at their homes and transported to the nearest hospital with a newly acquired vehicle through a grant from the Catholic Health Caregivers Fund. In addition, the doctor is transported to the health center to see patients once a week. Medicines and other supplies are more easily obtained.
Situated in the Province of Tezpur, in the northeast corner of India, the dispensary in Kartic is a lifeline for many families. A nurse who works with Sr. Kripa was in a village, about to take a patient to the health center, when she encountered an elderly woman suffering from high blood pressure. She was able to care for her and a sick child in the same community before returning with her patient in the new vehicle.
“We shall always raise our hearts toward God, asking Him to bless you,” said Sr. Lucienne Kakkanatt, OSU, project manager of Tezpur Province for the Ursuline Sisters, in a message for participants of the Catholic Health Caregivers Fund. “I am sure all the patients who will make use of this vehicle will remember you with gratitude.”
A technician uses the chemistry analyzer procured with the help of funding provided by the Catholic Health Caregivers Fund.
In partnership with the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, the Catholic Health Caregivers Fund has provided assistance to the Diocese of Mutare’s Community Care Programme in Zimbabwe. Through the generosity of participating employees, a grant of $30,000 helped reach impoverished residents of the region who have critical health problems such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with a focus on vulnerable women and children. The funds were used to purchase a chemistry analyzer and a hematology analyzer.
The diocesan Community Care Programme works closely with civic organizations and other entities to serve marginalized communities in both rural areas and high-density suburbs. This outreach is making a difference in the lives of those in need thanks to those who contribute to the Catholic Health Caregivers Fund.
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