PHILADELPHIA—The foundation of health care is strengthened by those who deliver that care, particularly by those who supplement their work through voluntary action. 37 Penn Medicine staff and medical students used Penn Medicine CAREs grants to serve their communities and beyond, from distributing warm clothes and food to helping young people who have been impacted by HIV/AIDS.
The CAREs grant program provides financial support for members of the workforce to augment their service activities in communities across the region. After passing more than $1 million in lifetime support last year—bolstering projects from Lancaster to Philadelphia to Princeton—this quarter's projects continue to embody the culture of volunteerism inspired by Penn's founder, Benjamin Franklin, who called service "an inclination...to serve mankind as the great Aim and End of all Learning."
Sometimes, the solution is as simple as helping someone make a phone call.
Andrew Luglio, MSW, an Emergency Department (ED) social worker at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP)—Cedar, knows that some individuals who arrive at the ED have needs that may be better addressed through outpatient care or community resources. However, many do not have cell phones, making access to continued care more difficult. Luglio's grant went to provide 12 phones and one month of service, with the potential for additional service through the Lifeline program.
This is the second time Luglio has used CAREs grant funding in this way. The first time, it considerably reduced ED visits for almost half of those that received phones.
"People without phones, or who are otherwise underprivileged, often come to the ED because they don't know of other options or cannot access the other options available to them due to lacking a phone," Luglio said, adding that the main goal is empowering those who need the connection.
Similar projects also recognized the need to reach patients beyond a hospital's walls. Ashley Loftus, a social worker with the Penn Medicine at Home program, volunteers with Take a Sistah to Lunch, which runs two monthly food cupboards and operates out of fire stations. Her grant will provide food at the cupboard for the next several months.
"Take a Sistah to Lunch's food programs have been such a blessing for Penn Medicine at Home patients" Loftus said. "A box of healthy food can take one more thing off their mind and allow them to focus on recovery."
Other projects awarded during this cycle include:
Camp Dreamcatcher, which welcomes children aged 5-17 for a transformative week of fun, healing, and connection. These children may be coping with the challenges of HIV/AIDS in their families, the loss of one or both parents, or their own HIV/AIDS diagnosis. Kelly Dianne Daniels, a grants manager with the Division of Infectious Diseases, has volunteered at the camp for more than five years. Her funding will help support its one-week therapeutic and educational sessions.
Christmas in the City Winter Wear Drive is an outreach initiative organized by City of Refuge Fellowship, in Burlington, NJ, where Melissa Kulynych, a manager in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, has volunteered for nearly 20 years. Melissa's funds were used to purchase winter boots for local children.
The 37 individual awards are part of the CAREs grant legacy that embodies the spirit of volunteerism and service—from treating substance use disorders to addressing systemic health disparities. It's a legacy that showcases the naturally giving nature of Penn Medicine's employees and medical students. As Franklin also noted, "a right heart exceeds all."
