by
Julianne Buck
Executive Director
April 28, 2015
Monday, May 11th, is the date of the Foundation’s annual “Donor & Partner Appreciation Night” from 5:00-7:00 pm at the Morris Country Club.
This event is not a gala – no tickets, no raffles. Instead it is a night of fellowship to celebrate the successes of the Foundation over the past year and to thank both donors and partners for helping to make our collective successes a reality.
A success of the past year is the launch of the new Grundy County Senior Network, so “seniors” is the topic of the night. We are excited to announce that Dr. Bhavesh Gandhi of Presence Medical Group is our guest speaker. Dr. Gandhi is a geriatrician dedicated to addressing the complex needs of older adults, including the combined treatment of a disease, a disability, multiple medications, memory loss, and the emotional concerns around aging.
We were introduced to Dr. Gandhi by a local friend who is pleased with Dr. Gandhi’s holistic approach to aging. To quote our friend, “Two issues facing most senior citizens (over 65), including me, is determination of when mental faculties have diminished to the point where intervention is needed and, secondly, is the medication prescribed by various specialists (without an overall plan collectively) appropriate, and what can be eliminated. Dr. Gandhi, through in-office testing of my current mental skills, established a baseline for comparative review every six months. In addition, he immediately eliminated one of my prescriptions and reduced the dosage of a second.”
We know that it is the goal of seniors to remain independent and to live in their own home as long as possible. Mental capacity is an important part of independence so it will be interesting to hear how the medical field can help seniors maintain it for extended independence.
Dr. Gandhi will also share his thoughts about how the Foundation can use leadership and philanthropy to answer the question: Does Grundy County have the amenities and services to make Grundy County a great place for seniors and retirees?
In addition to Dr. Gandhi, the members of the Grundy County Senior Network have been invited to bring materials and displays. “Communication” is an issue that has come out of the Network and we hope that our guests that evening will take the time to learn about the various services for our seniors in Grundy County – and then help spread the word so that all seniors in Grundy County are aware of services so that they can access them and participate.
You can read more about the Senior Network in the Community Foundation’s “Annual Report to the Community” which will be a pull-out section of the Morris Daily Herald on May 1st, the Minooka Herald Life on May 6th, the Coal City Courant on April 29th, and The Paper in Dwight next week.
Regardless of whether you are already a Donor or Partner of the Community Foundation, we invite you to our event on Monday, May 11th. We are incredibly thankful for our sponsors so that we do not have to charge tickets! However, since we are serving food and drink, please RSVP to 815-941-0852 or [email protected]
Also, a quick reminder to the not-for-profits serving Grundy County: the next “Non-Profit Tools for Success” will be Thursday, May 7th, at 5:00 pm in the conference room at the Grundy County Housing Authority, 1802 N. Division, door #9.
I will be giving an in-depth presentation about the services of the Community Foundation and how local non-profits can use them to build an operating endowment and expand your organization’s donor development.
This presentation is appropriate for non-profits of all shapes and sizes, including social service agencies, churches, schools, libraries, and other local units of government.
Please RSVP to 815-941-0852 or [email protected]
See you May 11th!!