A2 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015
LOCAL WEATHER
GSMC foundation celebrates
30 years of giving back
BY MAEGAN MURRAY
HERMISTON HERALD
In the past 30 years,
few organizations have
given more funds back
to the regional Hermis-
ton community than what
is now Good Shepherd
Community Health Foun-
dation.
Through the years, the
foundation has awarded
more than $1.5 million
in student scholarships,
health-related grants and
awards to organizations
and residents from Board-
man to Hermiston to Irri-
gon.
The purpose of the
foundation,
Executive
Director Bob Green said,
is to help people because
it is the right thing to do.
“It is our local commu-
nity that we want to bene-
fit,” he said. “Many have
heard about the founda-
tion but don’t know as to
what it has given or what
we do … There are many
organizations that give
back to the local commu-
nity, but few will have the
impact that the founda-
tion and the hospital will
have in the eyes of the
community.”
START OF
SOMETHING
GREAT
Green said, up until
last year, the Good Shep-
herd Community Health
Foundation was actually
two different organiza-
tions that operated par-
allel to each other: the
Good Shepherd Medical
Foundation, started in
1985, and the Good Shep-
herd Community Health
Foundation, started in
1995.
In 2014, the two foun-
dations merged to create
the Good Shepherd Com-
munity Health Founda-
tion.
STUDENT
SCHOLARSHIPS
One of the biggest
ways the foundation gives
back to the local commu-
nity is through a variety
of scholarships meant
to encourage people to
pursue or continue their
education in the medical
field. Last year, alone,
the organization awarded
approximately $30,500
in medical scholarships,
which were granted to
more than just recent high
school graduates.
“Some of these were
high school graduates
entering college for their
first year, but some of
them were already col-
lege students,” Green
said. “Some of them are
employees of our hospital
who are receiving extend-
ed training to benefit our
local community in the
medical field.”
Green said last year’s
scholarship funds benefit-
ed 28 people attending 22
different universities and
colleges. All of the ben-
eficiaries were from the
region, including from
Hermiston, Boardman, Ir-
rigon, Umatilla, Echo and
Stanfield.
“The board does not
give scholarships to peo-
ple outside of our local
area,” Green said. “Every-
thing goes back to benefit
our local students.”
GRANTS AND
AWARDS
The foundation has
also granted funds for a
variety of projects and
to non-profit organiza-
tions looking to make the
Hermiston region a better
place.
Last year, the founda-
tion provided more than
$71,500 in grants and
more than $51,800 to
nonprofits working to im-
prove Hermiston and the
regional community.
In the past, funds have
gone to a variety of proj-
ects, including up to
$100,000 to the Hermis-
ton School District Ken-
nison Field construction.
“That whole complex
is marvelous for our area,
and the foundation was a
part of that,” Green said.
The foundation has
also awarded money to
purchase and build new
playground
equipment
for area schools, as well
as money to support dif-
ferent Good Shepherd ed-
ucation programs and ser-
vices, including the start
up of the hospital’s Care
Van program, which pro-
vides free transportation
to community members
to and from their medical
appointments.
“We were one of the
original
organizations
that helped fund them to
help get them their first
van,” Green said.
The foundation also
works to provide funds
for treatment of the un-
der-served, Green said.
SUCCESSFUL
PROGRAMS
The Good Shepherd
Community Health Foun-
dation also runs a variety
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health and welfare of the
community, Green said.
One of the foundation’s
programs is the car-dona-
tion program, where people
who have the current title
of their vehicle can donate
their vehicle, running or
not, at no cost.
“We contract with an or-
ganization who will come
and pick up your vehicle,
take your title, and will give
you a tax receipt,” Green
said.
The receipt, according to
IRS standards, is good for
a tax deduction of $500. If
the car is worth more than
$500, the organization will
send the original owner a
receipt for the difference of
the value.
The foundation also
started an honor tree pro-
gram last year, where peo-
ple can honor a loved one
by donating to the founda-
tion, which places a plaque
along the hospital walking
trail paired with a particular
tree. The foundation also
started up what is known as
“Doctor’s Day” two years
ago, where, for a donation,
people can honor a phy-
sician who has provided
them with great service.
The doctor is provided with
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tion.
The same can be done
through the foundation’s
“Grateful Patient” program
where an employee will be
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if a patient makes a dona-
tion in their name.
“These programs can
run all year,” Green said.
“The doctor’s day usually
comes to a close at the end
of April, but people have
been known to donate well
after that.”
The foundation has also
participated in the Festival
of Trees, which is a part-
nership with the Hermiston
Kiwanis Club each year to
raise money for their orga-
nizations. The foundation
also hosts a “Scramble for
Scholarships” golf tour-
nament, which takes place
every year in June to raise
money for foundation
scholarships.
This year, Green said
the tournament is sched-
uled June 12. Last year, the
event, despite miserable
weather conditions, raised
more than $17,000 for med-
ical scholarships.
The foundation will
have a 30th anniversary
celebration later this year,
with the time and date to
be announced.
For more information
about the foundation, or
to donate, contact Green
at 541-667-3419 or email
him at bgreen@gshealth.
org.
Today's Weather
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Oregon East
Symphony
fundraiser on tap
The Oregon East Sym-
phony, based in Pendleton,
will be presenting its annu-
al Spring Fling fundraiser
at 6 p.m. April 10 at Sno
Road Winery in Echo. The
event includes live music,
a barbecue dinner, compli-
mentary glass of wine and
live auction. Auction items
include vacation get-aways,
works by local artists and
a seat on stage during a
symphony concert. Funds
raised go toward maintain-
ing a strong community
orchestra and Playing For
Keeps, the Symphony’s
K-12 classical music edu-
cation program. Tickets are
$40 and can be purchased
DW WKH V\PSKRQ\ RI¿FH
Corrections
Armchair Books or Brown-
PaperTickets.com.
Templo Fe church
hosting Easter event
The Templo Fe, Espe-
ranza Y Amor Iglesia De
Dios church will hold an
Easter event from 11 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Saturday at Victo-
ry Square Park.
Pastor Hector Ramirez
said the event will feature
a variety of family-friendly
activities and games, with
prizes awarded for some.
The event, which is be-
ing sponsored by Wal-Mart,
Fiesta Foods and Shearer’s
Foods in Hermiston, will
also feature hot dogs, chips,
drinks and more.
The event is free and
open to anyone who is in-
terested in attending.
It is the policy of the Hermiston Herald to correct
errors as soon as they are discovered. Incorrect
information will be corrected on Page 2A. Errors
commited on the Opinion page will be corrected on
that page. Corrections also are noted in the online
versions of our stories. Please contact the editor at
editor@hermistonherald.com or call (541) 564-4533
with issues about this policy or to report errors.
5K RUN, 5K WALK, 10K RUN, KID'S BUTTE SCOOT
All races begin & end at Hermiston's Butte Park
DRAWINGS • FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Online registration & race information at
WWW.BUTTECHALLENGE.COM
REGISTER ONLINE BY APRIL 23RD TO ORDER A
CUSTOM TECHNICAL RACE T-SHIRT
All proceeds benefit THE HERMISTON CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM
Thank you for your suppor t!