Please join us in thanking these supporters of the Fund, and visit their web sites:
SPONSORS
OF THE FUND
FRIENDS
OF THE FUND
|
The Helpers Fund News
Volume 10, No. 1 - Winter/Spring 2007
In This Issue:
2007 Dates To Remember
- June 9 - Annual Helpers Fund Golf Tournament
- Sept. 1 - 60/40 Scholarship Tickets In Mail
- Sept. 15 - 5k 10k Races
- Oct. 1 - Holiday Drive Material mailed
- Nov. 18 - Annual Meeting
- Dec. 24 - Annual Christmas Dinner Chester General Store
10th Annual Helpers Fund Golf Tournament, June 9, 2007, 9:00 am -
Changes In The 2007 Golf Tournament
There will be two flights established for this year's golf tournament. Each flight will be decided by the group's handicap, as well as the makeup of the foursome. Because of this change, there will be more winning foursomes. There will be a first and second place in each flight, and possibly a third place in each flight.
Not yet decided is whether there will be separate putting and pitching contests. That is, will there be a men's and women's division for each contest. All other awards and contests will remain the same, and age factors will also be followed this year.
Annual Meeting Completes Successful Year For Fund
The ninth Annual Meeting of The Helpers Fund took place on Sunday November 19, 2006 at Friends Lake Inn.
The brunch, the silent auction and the drawing of the 60/40 Scholarship Raffle were the highlights of the Fund's final public event of the year.
Host and Hostess John and Trudy Phillips, owners of the Inn, made sure everything went off without a hitch. There were nothing but compliments about the service, the food and the atmosphere.
The Fund holds its annual meeting on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The purpose is to thank the supporters of the Fund for their help in making the Fund a success.
The silent auction was active throughout the brunch period. It included gift certificates to local restaurants, golf courses throughout the area and gift baskets donated by local businesses.
Attendees received a packet of information which included a review of the year. It also contained information about some the cases that were dealt with this year. Also included was a proposed budget for 2007, and an income and expenses statement covering the period Jan. 1 to Nov. 1 2006 were included in the packet. The approved Budget and the Income and Expenses for 2006 were available January 1, 2007 and can be obtained by contacting the Fund.
The meeting ended with the drawing of the winning tickets for the Scholarship Raffle and the announcement of the winners of the different items in the Silent Auction.
Fund and Hudson Headwaters To Begin Discussions
The Helpers Fund and representatives from Hudson Headwaters Health Network are planning to meet to discuss ways to make medical care affordable to those who are uninsured, or those who are under-insured and unable to meet any medically associated fees.
Hudson Headwaters does not turn patients away because of an inability to pay for the services, and as a result assumes quite a significant debt.
There is a fairly large portion of the community which is uninsured and do not seek any medical assistance until a serious situation evolves which usually results in the person going directly to the hospital emergency room.
Both organizations will attempt to reach some solutions to both of these problems. "What the answer is to either of these situations," said Carl Lamm, director of the Fund, "if there are any practical solutions at all, are ideas only in their infancy at this point."
The Fund's Board has discussed the uninsured and under-insured problem on and off for a number of years and has reached solutions to individual problems, usually on a financial level. The Fund is also aware there are a number of people in the area who are not eligible for social services, yet do not have enough disposable income for medical benefits. As a result, there are many people who do not seek medical attention for existing problems.
At this time, requests for medical assistance made to the Fund have been handled on an individual basis. Two cases that come to mind are the local teenager who had one hip growing normally, and the other hip not growing at all because of a circulation problem; and, the other case involved the family with the genetic neurological disorder which required a special organic diet. There have been other cases where the Fund provided help to senior citizens who were not covered by Part B of Medicare, and were facing large surgical bills they could no pay. Other cases involved individuals who either had not established residency and were therefore not eligible for social services, or prescription drug assistance for people whose plan did not cover a needed drug, or did not have prescription drug coverage.
One of the goals of the meeting will be to discuss ways to have uninsured individuals be able to seek care for existing problems, and another will be to find ways to assist those who are underinsured and cannot meet their bills.
The first meeting will take place in April, and if consensus can be found additional meetings will be held to formulate possible solutions.
"It's an opportunity," said Lamm, "to attempt a solution to a problem which might be larger than we think.
No committees have been formed and the first meeting will be an exploratory meeting to discuss possibilities.
Brant Lake Foundation And Fund Plan To Work Together
The Brant Lake Foundation and the Helpers Fund have met to discuss ways to assist those in need in the Town of Horicon.
Since the Foundation's Charter requires them to work within certain geographical lines, any assistance they give the Fund must also be applied within those lines. Though the Fund has always included the Town of Horicon, the Foundation's efforts will allow an expansion of those services.
"I think we'll see the Foundation, the Fund and Hudson Headwaters working together," said Carl Lamm, director of the Fund, "not only to expand medical services but other types of assistance."
Discussions with Mark Lustick, president of BLF, and its board of directors, made it possible to take the next step of looking into areas where assistance might be needed.
The Fund is looking into a social gathering this summer between the two groups as an informational get-together to learn more about each other.
2006 Holiday Drive Provides Clothing And Food Credits
The Fund's Holiday Drive was able to clothe and feed 17 families in the area, a total of 88 adults and children. Those assisted received the necessary winter clothing for all members of the family, as well as food during the period from Thanksgiving to New Year.
The drive collected almost $10,000 in donations which was a record for the Fund. This was the Fund's fifth drive and it was its most successful. Almost two dozen stuffed animals were distributed, all to children in the area under six years of age.
Board member Edna Wells led the shopping for the families. She distributes the questionnaires that go out to families throughout the area. "She made at least three trips to Glens Falls," Carl Lamm, director of the Fund said. "On one trip there were two shopping carts stuffed with jackets, sweaters, long-johns and other winter gear."
The questionnaires were distributed through the local schools. Lisa DeZalia supervised in Schroon Lake, Edna Wells at North Warren and Terri Palermo in Warrensburg.
The questionnaires were distributed to the most needy families in those schools, but the bulk of the questionnaires were distributed through the Chestertown Food Pantry.
Some of the people sent their applications back saying they had adequate clothing, but would like to be considered for heating assistance. These requests were granted.
A number of people also received food credits that could be used at local super markets. The total assisted did not include families that received help by the Fund during the year.
More about the Holiday Drive is online here, and a form for donations to the Holiday Drive and other projects of The Helpers Fund is online here.
Christmas Eve Dinner At General Store
The Fund's Second Annual Christmas Eve Dinner was held on December 24, 2006 from 3 pm to 5 pm at the Chestertown General Store. Under the supervision of Doris Hensler, owner of the General Store, free dinners were offered to anyone. Special invitations went to those families the Fund had assisted during the year.
Mrs. Hensler made her store available to the Fund for this dinner and supervised and cooked the dinner with help from family, friends and Fund's helpers. Her menu consisted of baked ham, peas, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, and assorted pies for dessert
Thank You, Mrs. Hensler
The Fund would like to thank Doris Hensler for her caring, her concern and her assistance. Mrs. Hensler is owner of the Chestertown General Store, and not only has made the store available to the Fund for the Christmas Eve Dinner, but she helps in every way to make sure the meal is successful.
But, in addition to that help, Mrs. Hensler provides a free Thanksgiving Dinner to anyone who comes through the door at Thanksgiving. Any money donated to her at that time she donates to the Fund. She has a Labor Day Weekend Sale at the store, and all profits from the weekend are donated to the Fund.
We thank you for your caring and we thank you for all that you have done for the Helpers Fund!
Three Winners In Fund's 60/40 Scholarship Raffle
Frank and Bonnie Tucci of Loon Lake were the first place winners of the Fund's Scholarship raffle, while George and Alice Jensen of Chestertown took second place honors and Tom & Nadine Magee of Pottersville took third prize. The raffle is one of the highlights of the annual meeting.
The raffle gets its name from the different shares awarded. Sixty percent of the sale of tickets goes into a "winner's pool," while 40 percent goes directly into the Fund's Scholarship program. This year's drawing placed close to $1,500 into the Fund's Scholarship Program
The Board of Directors, due to the large number of awards given each year, is considering changing the raffle to a "50/50" Raffle which would place 50 percent of the sale of tickets in the "winner's pool" and 50 percent of the sale of tickets in the Fund's Scholarship Program.
More about the scholarships and raffle is online here.
Changes In Fund Raising Activities Scheduled For 2007
The Board of Directors of the Fund has been discussing changes in the Fund Raising activities for 2007, with a few changes having been adopted at the January meeting.
This year the Fund will have its Golf Tournament in June, which will be the 10th Annual event, but there will be a year off for the "Dinner for Two Raffle," which will not be held this year, but will be scheduled for 2008. The Summer Silent Auction, which was conducted through the mails last year, will be available again this year.
The 60/40 Raffle and the Annual Meeting and Silent Auction will be on the calendar again this year, as well as the Holiday Drive.
The Fund has resigned its seat on the Marathon Committee's Board of Directors. As a result the Fund will not be acting as the Director of the Races, but it will remain active in the overall program. Linda Warner will continue to act as Race Director, and the structure will remain as it has in the past with the Fund in support.
In its meetings the Board has discussed creating more activities which could act as fund raisers that would be more accessible to more people. Last year's association with the July 4 activity is the type of event the Board would like to become involved with. There were other types of activities discussed by the Board such as barbeques, or suppers, as well as evening events that would be open to everyone.
The Helpers Fund is a 501(c)3 charity which has been serving the geographical area of the Tri-Lakes region since 1997.
Top of Page
|
