We are proud that our community generously supports these efforts. In fiscal year 2023, the Foundation received 17,791 gifts totaling more than $1.7 million.
Caring Employees: The Blessing Foundation Difference
Blessing caregivers are on the frontlines of patient care. Caregivers are the first to identify patients’ needs and begin the process of getting help for them from the Blessing Foundation.
Perhaps because they see how we help patients every day, our employees donate so generously to the Blessing Foundation. Employees contribute through:
The Caring Club: This unrestricted fund helps patients when no other fund meets their needs. In 2023, Blessing’s loyal and caring employee body contributed donations of more than $90,000 to the Foundation for Blessing Health System patients.
Volunteer projects: Besides providing more than excellent patient care, many Blessing employees also donate their time to helping our patients.
Blessing Foundation Highlight: Merrick Family Medical Crisis Fund
When Dr. Robert and Kay Merrick’s son was born prematurely, they experienced firsthand what many parents of critically ill children go through. Their son spent two weeks in a neonatal unit in Springfield, Illinois, and the couple had to travel from Quincy to Springfield every day.
The Merricks were fortunate to have the resources for these daily trips. However, after speaking to the nurses, they learned that many parents couldn’t afford the daily trip. Many had to either sleep at the hospital or miss visiting their sick child every day.
“That’s when we came up with the idea. We wanted to keep families together to help them grow stronger in a time of crisis,” said Dr. Merrick. He and his wife Kay set up the Merrick Family Medical Crisis Fund to support families with children who go to another town for a higher level of pediatric care.
The fund provides assistance with lodging, transportation and food.
Why I Give to the Caring Club
Karen Dames BSN, RN, Administrative Coordinator, Regulatory Compliance
"When my daughter was six-years-old, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. We lived in Florida at the time and I worked as a nurse in a rehabilitation hospital. The neurologist told us there was nothing he could do so he sent us to a large hospital six hours away. Within four hours my coworkers, including administration, physicians, therapists, nurses, and secretaries collected over $1,000 to help us with meals and other travel expenses. Words cannot describe how overwhelmed we were with their generosity. I love our brand, "True Human Connection". The staff at Blessing Health System look into our faces of great need every day. I give so that they can meet those needs, not just with words of kindness, but with acts of great love that will never be forgotten."
Donate
Our online donation form makes it easy to choose a fund and make a gift in your name or in honor of a loved one. Make your donation today. If you would prefer to mail your donation, send it to the address below:
Blessing Foundation
4939 Oak Street
PO Box 7005
Quincy, Illinois 62305-7005
Contact Us
For more information about the Blessing Foundation or to discuss a donation or gift, call (217) 223-8400, ext. 4800, or email us at blessingfoundation@blessinghealth.org. Correspondence can also be sent to the address above.