It’s spring, and around this time is when Salal usually launches its fundraising efforts. We’re raising money for three amazing organizations this year, and we’ve got some very fun activities planned, so keep an eye on our website and our blog for details!

Who are we fundraising for?

HealthPoint is a Community Health Center network that started in 1971 as a response to community need when many people had no way to get health care. HealthPoint has 12 clinics in King County, serving patients from diverse backgrounds and providing…

• primary medical and dental services, plus pharmacy, complementary and alternative services such as nutrition counseling and acupuncture, insurance enrollment assistance and more,
• assistance to everyone who asks, regardless of ability to pay,
• service to the communities around its clinics through outreach programs,
•  an on-site medical school for community health physicians, and
• much-needed services to more than 63,000 people seeking medical assistance in 2010.

The Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization (MMPNO) was named for Mary Eliza Mahoney, RN, (1845-1926), the first African-American to graduate from nursing school in the United States. At age 33, she was accepted as a student nurse at the New England Hospital for Women and Children; of the 42 students accepted into the program, Mahoney was one of only four who graduated. Along with two other African American nurses, she founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGH), eventually becoming the organization’s national chaplain.

The MMPNO was founded by thirteen Registered Nurses in 1949 to support African-American students seeking a career in professional nursing. Financial support from Salal’s members and staff will go to enrich the organization’s scholarship program. The MMPNO…

• promotes the “recruitment, retention and graduation of African heritage students in nursing programs,”
• supports professional development of its members,
• helps nursing students be successful through scholarships, mentoring and other support,
• seeks to “enhance physical and psychosocial well-being of under-served people,”
• promotes “high standards of excellence in the practice of nursing.”

King County Nurses Association is “a professional organization of registered nurses, committed to promoting healthy communities through education, advocacy, and outreach.” In operation since 1903, the KCNA has an average membership of 3,100 RNs and is the largest organization of its kind in Washington State.

The KCNA scholarship fund, to which our contributions will be dedicated, provides money for education costs of deserving students pursuing careers as RNs, and for RNs returning to school to earn advanced degrees.

How can I participate?

There are two different ways you can contribute:

1. From June through the end of September, keep an eye out for activities at Salal’s branches: with our bake sales, yard sales, BBQs and more, we’ll have lots of chances for you to contribute to our fundraising activities. All donations from events held at our branches will benefit HealthPoint.
2. From now through the end of the year, you can make a monetary contribution to your choice of any (or all!) of the three organizations listed above. We’ll be offering some lovely Salal-branded items, and if you donate $10 or more,  you can take your pick of any of the gifts! And later in the year, we’ll have 2012 calendars available as one of our “thank you” gift choices for contributions of $10 or more.

Please join us in supporting these three organizations in their commitment to keeping our communities healthy and strong!

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