The Texas County Memorial Hospital Healthcare Foundation Youth Ambassador Endowed Scholarship Fund has the opportunity to grow by at least another $10,000 this spring thanks to a matching challenge grant from Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) to benefit affiliate endowments.
The Healthcare Foundation was one of 20 CFO affiliates selected to participate in the program that will match every dollar given up to $5,000. Progressive Ozark Bank in Houston and Orscheln Farm and Home have already donated funds to the Healthcare Foundation that will be matched by CFO this year.
The Healthcare Foundation started the Youth Ambassador Endowed Scholarship Fund in 2015 in part through a matching challenge grant from CFO and through “Give Ozarks”, a 24-hour day of giving organized by CFO. The Healthcare Foundation continued to raise funds for the scholarship fund through Give Ozarks, bringing the scholarship fund balance to over $20,000 in the past two years.
“As the fund has grown, we have been able to increase the number of scholarships given annually to two scholarships, and the amount of the scholarships has also grown,” Jay Gentry, TCMH Healthcare Foundation director, said.
In 2016, the Healthcare Foundation awarded two scholarships—one $250 and one $500—to two Youth Ambassadors. With additional funds, Gentry noted that the scholarship amounts could be raised to $750 and $500 annually.
Gentry is currently working to secure the $5,000 match by the first week of May, but the Healthcare Foundation also plans to participate in “Give Ozarks”, the 24-hour day of giving organized by CFO for Tuesday, May 9th to add to the endowment funds.
“In addition to the major donations we’ve already received for the project, other donor partners are also stepping up to meet the challenge and partner in the endowed scholarship project,” Gentry said, adding, “This is a great opportunity to make a long-lasting impact in the lives of area students.”
The Healthcare Foundation is one of several area entities that are participating in Give Ozarks in 2017.
Give Ozarks is a one-day surge across the state of 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, and 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 375 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 Youth Ambassador Endowed Scholarship Fund, eligible Youth Ambassadors have the 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 9th or in the Healthcare Foundation’s hands by April 28, 2017.
For additional information, contact Gentry at (417) 967-1377 or jay.gentry@tcmh.org
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For additional information, contact:
Joleen Senter Durham, Director of Public Relations/Marketing
Texas County Memorial Hospital
Phone: 417/967-1258
Fax: 417/967-1291
joleen@tcmh.org