Throughout the year, Washington University Medical Center (WUMC) interfaces with agencies and stakeholders in the community to identify families in the Forest Park Southeast and Botanical Heights neighborhoods that have had an extremely discouraging year. Since 1997, WUMC has matched these families in need with a department from the Washington University School of Medicine and BJC Corporate during the holiday season. Employees in each participating department donate money, food, clothing, bedding, toys, housewares, small appliances, utility assistance, and other items to their paired family. This year, 42 families from the participating neighborhoods were recipients of the Washington University Medical Center (WUMC) Holiday Outreach program.
WUMC also helps to connect area individuals and families with other support services available to them. WUMC, through its Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corporation (WUMCRC), sponsors an employment training, placement and retention program in partnership with MERS-Goodwill. Individuals and families participating in this year’s Holiday Outreach Program have an opportunity to also participate in the employment program.
Quick Facts- Holiday Outreach 2012
Total families served: 42
Total cash raised for utility/gift assistance: $9,526.95
Donated gift value: $7,518.75
This year’s program was a huge success thanks to Washington University employees!
Quotes:
Washington University Department that adopted family #11, “It’s so wonderful to know that we’ve been able to increase the number of families helped this year. Some days, with so much negativity and crime in the news, I wonder what’s become of our society, and then I receive news like this and my faith in the human race is restored!”
Family #11, “Thank you all for what you have done for my family. Words can’t even describe the way I felt to see the look on my son’s face when he opened his gifts; I felt like a kid again myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I never could have done it without you as a team.”
Family #19, “We were very thankful for the blessing that you all gave our family this Christmas. May God bless each and every single one of you. When we opened up our gifts on Christmas morning, I wish you could have seen our faces. Jesus must have been looking out for us because we got so many gifts. Everyone was so happy because you made our Christmas the best Christmas we have had in a very long time.”
