In response to a $50,000 gift by an anonymous donor, Volunteers in Medicine has launched a “50 Days to $50K” campaign to raise additional funds for the nonprofit organization.
A note accompanying the $50,000 donation referenced the donor’s personal commitment to achieving good health and the importance of maintaining it, and asked Volunteers in Medicine to use the gift to challenge the community to participate in the fall fundraising campaign.
Designed to raise awareness of Volunteers in Medicine’s free health care services to Jacksonville’s low-income working residents, the “50 Days to $50K” fundraising campaign kicked off with an internal soft launch Aug. 10 targeting the organization’s board of directors, volunteers and patients. Within two weeks, the organization raised more than $5,000, with several of the clinic’s patients making contributions in appreciation of the services they receive at the clinic. The public campaign officially launched Aug. 30.
For every dollar donated, Volunteers in Medicine has announced a pledge to match dollar for dollar all funds donated over the next 50 days, up to $50,000. The funds raised will provide 1,000 comprehensive wellness exams and all of the annual required screenings and tests. The goal is to keep patients healthy, employed and out of hospital emergency rooms.
“The well-being of a community can be gauged by the health of its people,” Volunteers in Medicine CEO Mary Pat Corrigan said. “The fortunate have company-funded health care; the poorest among us can turn to government-assisted health care. The people who remain work hard, earn more than the government allows but not enough to pay hefty premiums and deductibles. These are the families – men, women and children – who need our assistance the most.”
For more information or to make a donation, visit www.vim-jax.org.
