Special Funding
In addition to grants for organizations and scholarships for health sciences students, donors to The Health Foundation have also established two special funds addressing emergent, individual needs.
Shelton Helping Hands Fund
Sometimes, people just need a helping hand to get through a small crisis to keep it from snowballing into a larger one. That’s because most families are used to stretching every dollar and making do with what they have. Until something happens. And, when children are involved, students carry the burdens of their home lives into the classroom, which often manifests as a behavioral issue.
April Marr, Director of Student Services for the Wilkes County Schools, understands that the first question educators need to ask is not “What is wrong with this child?” but rather, “What is happening to this child?”
And, for school social workers who see and work with these children every day, the answers are often heartbreaking.
“I don’t have a bed to sleep on.” – “We don’t have any electricity.” – “Our refrigerator is broken and we can’t keep food cold.”
These deep needs and more are being addressed by the Shelton Helping Hands Fund, started by Foundation President David Shelton in 2017 as a pilot project to determine whether being able to meet larger emergent needs could make a difference to families in crisis. Administered by April Marr, school social workers have a ready source of help not met by other programs.
277 children in the Wilkes County Schools have experienced homelessness over the past academic year. Marr noted that the number is usually higher, but enrollment is down due to the pandemic.
Marr said that the fund has been “life changing” for the students and families it serves, providing vital needs like clothing, mattresses, hygiene items, fuel for winter months, and more. Angel Bell, Families in Transition Liaison, said, “We could not meet the needs of so many without your help.”
Since the program’s beginning, over $50,000 has been invested in the students and families in Wilkes County Schools!
Right: Social workers Amber Shumate, Angel Bell, Michelle Sampson, and Brandi Miller, as well as Penny Souther and school counselor Marianna Bowden (not pictured) administer the assistance program. Each social worker is responsible for the children at four to five schools in the county.
Teeth in Need
The Holt Hudson and Lacy Ferguson Endowment for Teeth in Need is designed to help ensure every child in Wilkes County has a healthy, happy smile.
Pediatric dental disease is the number one chronic childhood illness. It is treatable, curable, and preventable.
The fund provides for preventive care and treatment for dental health problems for people who could not otherwise afford to pay.
Proper dental care gives people a lot to smile about. Because it is the first thing people see, a healthy smile has a lot to do with how people feel about themselves.
But it is a key indicator of overall health and well-being, too.
Poor dental health has been linked to serious diseases like heart disease, lung disease, and even diabetes. That’s because our mouths are portals through which germs and disease can enter our blood stream and cause harm.
The good news is that having regular dental check-ups and cleanings can prevent most serious dental problems from occurring, improving the overall health of patients that can truly last a lifetime.
“I’m very proud to establish this endowment in memory of my parents, Holt and Lacy Ferguson of Moravian Falls. Because of them, I have been blessed with a 30-year career in Dental Public Health. May it protect one of a child’s greatest assets, their smile.”—Nancy Ferguson Brown, RDH
Thanks to the generosity of David Shelton and Nancy Ferguson Brown, these funds are endowed, meaning they will stand in perpetuity with The Health Foundation to serve the community’s needs. Should you wish to contribute to these funds, simply click the ‘Donate’ button and designate your gift either to the Shelton Helping Hands Fund or the Teeth in Need Fund.