The Texas County Memorial Hospital Healthcare Foundation plans to create an endowed scholarship fund for the TCMH Youth Ambassadors.
The foundation has launched a campaign to raise $10,000 through a matching challenge grant from Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) to benefit affiliate endowments. The group was one of 24 CFO affiliates selected to participate in the program that will match every dollar given up to $5,000.
Progressive Ozark Bank in Houston and Mountain Grove as well as the the Intercounty Charitable and Educational Foundation have already donated funds to the healthcare foundation that will be matched by CFO.
“To make an annual $500 scholarship to a Youth Ambassador, we need to establish an endowment of $13,000, so we hope to raise enough funds to receive the $5,000 match and more,” said Jay Gentry, TCMH Healthcare Foundation director.
Gentry is working to secure the $5,000 match by the end of April, but the healthcare foundation also plans to participate in “Give Ozarks,” the 24-hour day of giving organized by CFO for Tuesday, May 5, to add to the endowment funds.
“In addition to our two major donors to the project, other donor partners are also stepping up to meet the challenge and partner in the endowed scholarship project,” Gentry said. “This is a great opportunity to make a long-lasting impact in the lives of area students.”
The healthcare foundation and the Houston Education Foundation are two area entities that are participating in Give Ozarks with organized activities in Texas County, including hosting the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon and a Give Ozarks event at the Lone Star Plaza.
Give Ozarks is a one-day surge across Missouri that is part of the national “Give Local America Day.” With the assistance of CFO, donors will be able to make online donations at www.giveozarks.org to the healthcare foundation and to the Houston Education Foundation.
CFO will match donations made that day up to $5,000. They have additional matching funds and prizes available to organizations that rally donors to participate in the 24-hour day of giving.
“We are excited about creating an endowed scholarship for the TCMH Youth Ambassadors,” Gentry said. “The Youth Ambassadors have volunteered over 1,950 hours at TCMH since September of this year, and they are an important resource at TCMH.”
The Youth Ambassador program at TCMH allows selected area high school juniors and seniors and college students to volunteer in hospital departments for medical experience. Volunteer duties include passing out fresh linens and filling ice water cups for patients on the medical surgical floors, rocking newborns and greeting visitors in the obstetrics department, and reading to and talking with patients in the hospital’s swing bed program.
With the endowed scholarship, eligible Youth Ambassadors would have an opportunity annually to receive a scholarship toward higher education.
Funds donated to the TCMH Healthcare Foundation are tax-deductible. For funds to be matched by CFO for the healthcare foundation’s endowed scholarship program, donations must be made online on May 5 or in the healthcare foundation’s hands by April 24.
For additional information, contact Gentry at 417-967-1377 or jay.gentry@tcmh.org