Multiplying Our Gifts
Giving Tuesday seems the perfect day to celebrate the gifts we’ve received and share them with others. New to Giving Tuesday? According to the website #Giving Tuesday, today is a global day of giving mobilized by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in the U.S., Giving Tuesday is meant to kick off the charitable season, when many people focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.
Our favorite giving opportunities – Anna Purna Ghosh Foundation and the Blesie Tree Foundation – were inspired by the goodness of others.
Anna Purna Ghosh Foundation
When Dr. Ghosh was a child in Calcutta, India, his mother told him, “You always feel good when you give to someone else.” He’s carried those words forward in countless ways. In 2002, he founded the Anna Purna Ghosh Foundation, an organization named for his mother that helps people with cancer and blood disease afford prescription drugs and prosthetics. In the last 15 years, the Foundation has helped hundreds of patients in Linn County afford the medication they need for treatment.
Blesie Tree Foundation
The Blesie Tree Foundation helps patients with everyday needs, like groceries and gas, and meaningful extras, such as gift certificates for a massage. The Foundation was started with seed money from Amy Blesie, who donated a memorial gift in her late husband’s honor, accompanied by a note asking us to pay kindness forward to other families. From this gift, the fund has grown to a perpetual source of giving, relieving daily burdens so patients can devote their energy to getting better.
Optimist Club Gives Generously
Last night, both foundations received donations from the CR Metro Optimist Club. This club is a local chapter of Optimist International, a worldwide volunteer organization whose members work each day to make the future brighter by bringing out the best in children, in their communities and in themselves. We’re thankful to the local club for their generosity in improving the lives of patients in our area.
“You always feel good when you give to someone else.”
You Boost Our Giving
On November 1, we shared the news on Facebook that for the third year in a row, we’ve been ranked in the TOP 1% in the nation for patient experience. That ranking came directly from patients, who give us top marks compared with leading cancer centers across the country.
To show our appreciation, we committed to donating $5 to the Anna Purna Foundation for each person who shared the Facebook post. In response, the post was shared 156 times! Thanks to those 156 people, we’re giving $780 to the foundation to benefit patients in need.
Keep the Giving Going
In the spirit of the season, we encourage you to contribute to the causes closest to your heart. If you’d like to donate to help patients with cancer or blood disorders, you can drop checks off at our office or send them to:
Anna Purna Ghosh Foundation
PO Box 1248
Cedar Rapids IA 52406
The Blesie Tree
1951 51st St NE
Cedar Rapids IA 52402