UnityPoint Clinic Staff Gives Back During the Holidays Through "Jeans for January" Fundraiser
by UnityPoint Clinic - December 21, 2015
For care coordinator, Jacqueline Russell, and her team at UnityPoint Clinic – Family Medicine – Geneseo, giving back during the holidays took the form of a fundraising campaign called “Jeans for January”. In order to provide food for families in need, Jacqueline and her co-workers purchased jean gift tags, allowing staff to wear jeans to work on any day of their choosing during the month of January. The proceeds are then donated to a local food pantry to provide meals to families during the cold winter months.
“We take the money that was raised and purchase gift cards to our local grocery store and give them to the food pantry to distribute to families, helping them fill their freezer for the holidays,” Jacqueline said. During the previous year’s holiday season, Jacqueline’s team was able to raise over $300 and is looking forward to making a generous donation in time for the holidays.
For Jacqueline and her team, meeting the needs of their community is an essential goal as health care providers. “We always check with the director of the food pantry to find out what the needs of our community are,” said Jacqueline. “The last two years have brought the highest number of individuals in need of food and assistance. This year, the food pantry is providing for over 70 families.”
Staff at UnityPoint Clinic – Family Medicine – Geneseo have found the fundraising campaign to be very rewarding. “We always get a ‘thank you’ from the food pantry, but many times, their patrons include personal thank you notes as well,” Jaqueline said. “Best of all is when we receive notes of gratitude from the children in the families.”
Through the “Jeans for January” fundraiser, Jacqueline and her co-workers have been able to live out the UnityPoint Health mission of improving the health of the people in the communities they serve. “These people are part of our community, and I am positive we also serve some of them in our clinic,” Jacqueline said. “It’s important to all of us to take care of the people we serve and to find creative ways to give back.”