Foundation Raises More Than $100,000 to Support Employees Affected by COVID-19
Westminster Retirement Communities Foundation Raises More Than $107,000 In Just Six Weeks to Support Team Members Affected by COVID-19
When it became apparent that the outbreak of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout Florida was having an impact on the counties where our communities are located, Westminster Communities of Florida was faced with the challenge of how to support team members who may have been affected.
For someone who was facing a COVID-19 diagnosis for themselves or a family member, taking a substantial amount of time off could still be a financial hardship, even though the organization offers our team members a generous paid-leave program and health insurance benefits. We feel blessed that our communities have been so little affected, with only a single team member with a positive diagnosis out of 3,000. But some have been impacted disproportionately within their own families.
That’s why the Westminster Retirement Communities Foundation launched the Care In Crisis Campaign, an extension of the Foundation’s Mercy Fund, to raise funds to provide grants to supplement lost income for team members who are directly affected.
This generosity has made a world of difference! In just six weeks, the Care In Crisis Campaign has raised $107,000 and counting, with more than 300 gifts received, from residents and their families, team members, and members of our Board of Directors.
The Mercy Fund has been in existence for 20 years, and has always provided financial assistance to team members who have experienced a devastating occurrence in their lives that leaves them and their families in need. But the special Care In Crisis has seen an unprecedented outpouring of support.
Noreen Levitt, Vice President of Development for Westminster Communities of Florida, is sharing her gratitude to the amazing people who have helped the Care In Crisis Campaign. “We are grateful to the residents, families, staff and Board Members who have so generously contributed to the Care in Crisis campaign during these challenging times,” Levitt said.
Residents said their gifts were given in a variety of ways, but all motivated to support the team members who work so hard in their communities every day.
“I am from New York and after seeing the devastation in New York City, it made me appreciate all of the precautions being taken here at Westminster Palms,” said Valerie Webb, a resident at Westminster Palms and donor to the Care In Crisis Campaign. “I feel safe and secure here even during this pandemic. And the reason I feel safe is due to the efforts of the team members who continue to come to work every day during this crisis. This gift was a way to show my appreciation and gratitude for all of the team members and the sacrifices they make so that we can continue to live here comfortably.”
Another couple who made a gift, Millie and Mac Fryman, said they also wanted to show their well wishes to those who work in their community. “We hope they are well physically, spiritually, and economically, but if they are suffering, all we can do is to provide is financial support,” they said. “We are all in this unfamiliar season of our lives together. By extending helping hands through the Mercy Fund to those who have contributed so much to us, we honor the true meaning of community.”
Levitt said that these gifts have helped the Foundation exceed its goal for the Care In Crisis Campaign. “The benevolence of our donors has enabled the Foundation to very quickly exceed our fundraising goal of $100,000,” said Levitt. “We are both touched and humbled by the outpouring of support to this very worthy cause.”
Our team members appreciate this generosity, and the assurance of knowing that if the global pandemic affects them or their families, the Westminster family is here to support them.
To learn more about how you can contribute to the Mercy Fund and the Westminster Retirement Communities Foundation, visit our Foundation website.
