It’s heartbreaking when our patients have to choose between working to earn a living or taking time off to take care of themselves or a loved one, often forgoing the day’s wages to do so.
Eisner Health has partnered with Good+Foundation to provide caretakers and their families with microgrants through the Right to Rest and Recover Fund. Launched in November 2021, this new Fund has provided 100 caregivers $150 for a total of $15,000.
These funds help qualified patients meet their basic needs for food, housing, living expenses, medication, and transportation costs. The caregiver can use the Fund as they see fit, including covering the cost of household responsibilities and essentials, childcare, or other means to take care of themselves and their loved ones. The recipients are diverse patients: mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and foster parents. Combined, support from Good+Foundation has supported 463 children through these funds. Here are the stories of three families who received micro-grants.
In early January, a single mother with two children was surprised when both kids became sick with COVID-19, and the mom had to stay home to care for the children. She lost her mother a few months prior from COVID-19. Her mom, before her death, was the single mom’s primary source of care when the children were not in school/after-school/camp while she was working. The micro-grant funding was huge support for the family. When the case manager told her she would receive a micro-gran, the mom became very emotional because she was vulnerable and appreciated the incredible support.
A family of four turned to Eisner Health for help. They had two children who were positive for COVID- 19, both had fevers, and one had asthma, which put her at higher risk for complications. The Social Determinants of Health Case Manager helped the mom get a telehealth appointment with our Spanish-speaking medical staff, easing some of the pressure on her. At the same time, she managed to care for her vulnerable children. Recognizing that the mother had to miss work to take care of her children, the Case Manager applied for the Emergency Fund Gift Card, and it was sent that same day with the understanding that it would be of great relief to the family.
A family of five was food insecure, had one child sick with COVID-19, and reached out for help. The medical staff provided care for the ill child, but the Case Manager found that they did not receive the $50 of relief support emailed to them from a local Food Pantry. As such, she selected the option of having the Emergency Fund Gift card sent to the family via regular mail. The mother was relieved to know that help was on its way. She didn’t need to experience additional stress trying to overcome a technical barrier with an electronic gift card sent to her email account.
These family’s stories illustrate the impact that a small donation can make for those who may be struggling. Together our generous donors can create an enormous impact on so many, one family at a time. We are grateful for the opportunity to support the whole family, contributing to their collective well-being and assuredly helping them heal and recover during these winter months.