WomenConnected, a giving circle within the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Foundation, awarded grants totaling $56,406 to 18 programs and services at the Health Center, bringing the group’s total amount of grant funding to $426,604 since 2004.
WomenConnected is comprised of 74 women from Coles and surrounding counties who through their membership contributions, help fund and direct the expansion of services provided by Sarah Bush Lincoln.
Programs and services receiving WomenConnected support this year include: Heart Smart for Teens; Center for Healthy Living scholarships to help people who cannot afford the services; SBL Dental Services for urgent restorative care for mothers and children and oral health education to area grade schools; Healthy Kids Cooking classes; I Sing the Body Electric, an award-winning prevention program for teens; Step in the Right Direction, a diabetes prevention program; Living with Diabetes, a program that focuses on managing diabetes through nutrition and exercise; diabetic supply help; Heart Failure clinic; Building Hope Campaign, which supports the construction of a new Regional Cancer Center building; mental health books for Child Physiatrist Katie Hecksel, MD; and more.
WomenConnected is celebrating its 11th year of giving to the community through gifts to Sarah Bush Lincoln. Individually these women make a membership contribution. Contributions are then pooled together into a single fund that is able to provide significant support via monetary grants to our programs and services, Amy Card, SBL Foundation Director, explained. “The members as a group vote on which programs receive their grant funding. I believe all of our members find it very rewarding to be a part of a larger effort. By pooling their resources, they can make a significant impact in helping improve the health of people in our community.”
Members of WomenConnected range in age and occupation and include former EC Illinois residents now living in states like Kentucky, Georgia and Texas. “We have employees of area businesses, retirees, volunteers, moms, daughters and grandmas in this group and they all have at least one thing in common -- they generously give because they want to help others, and they ask for nothing in return,” Card said. “I’m lucky to know each one of these ladies and I encourage others to join this rewarding group.”
WomenConnected 2003 charter members include: Sally Bock, Joan Cole, Penny Gordy, Patty Hedges, Barbara Hoppin, Joyce Madigan, Tess Melvin, Melanie Mills, Carol Myerscough, Colleen Stoner, Selma Sweeney, Edie Terwilliger, Mary Williams.
In 2004, the first grant year, Judy Brown, Sheila Dively and Sheila Harshman joined the group.
WomenConnected members are: Carol Adams, Sheryl Artmann, Cathy Babbs, Susan Bartlett, Ann Beck, Kristen Bliss Sally Bock, Laura Bollan, Mary Bovard, Judy Brown, Amy Card, Beth Catt, Joan Cole, Lori Cudone, Sabra Culp, Jeanne Cunningham, Becky Crites, Jeanne Dau, Dixie Dickens, Katie Dittamore, Sheila Dively, Cynthia Edwards , Kelly Eubanks, Sharon Fox, Carol Jo Fritts, Penny Gordy, Barb Hall, Sheila Harshman, Wendy Hastings, Susie Hay, Kathleen Hecksel, Patty Hedges, Jodi Hildebrandt, Leslie Hill, Star Hill, Barbara Hoppin, Maggie Huffman, Shirley Hunt, Karen Lindley, Kim Lockart, Joyce Madigan, Tess Melvin, Tracey McCord, Janet Meyer, Melanie Mills, Laurie Mooney, Carol Myerscough, Cheryl Noll, Nancy Nguyen, Diana Oakley, Cathy Ols, Linda Perry, Jerri Pine , Theresa Quinn, Marjorie Ramsey, Maggie Ratliff, Carol Ray, Debbie Sandercock, Karla Schubert, Diane Senteney, Karen Smith, Patty Stiff, Erica Stollard, Colleen Stoner, Selma Sweeney, Jenny Swearingen, Nancy Swits, Edie Terwilliger, Kim Uphoff, Tammy Weinstock, Mary Lou Wild, Lauri DeRuiter Willems, Mary Williams, Pat Williamson
For more information about WomenConnected, contact Amy Card at (217) 258- or 348-2511 or acard@sblhs.org.