Summit Health Cares

Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸 Today, we celebrate the hard work, dedication, and spirit that drives our communities forward. At Summit Health Cares, we’re grateful for our team, volunteers, and everyone who works to make a difference every day.

Enjoy the well-deserved rest, and thank you for all that you do! 💙💪🏻

Meet Christine, a two-time cancer survivor who sought comfort, like many others, during her cancer treatments. During one of her appointments, she was given a cozy hand-knitted hat and that moment stuck with her. “Wow, somebody took the time to make this for me!” She was so touched by the kindness of it.

A few years later while she was recovering from a separate surgery, she decided to pick up knitting again. She had learned to knit years earlier and one of the items she knitted was a hat. “My goal was to knit 25 hats and I just kept going,” Christine explained. After being diagnosed with cancer of the breast, she started treatment again and bravely underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Throughout her treatment, she just kept knitting the hats. “I really hope it brings someone else a little comfort during their difficult time because I know what that’s like.”
 
To date, Christine has knitted and donated nearly 600 hats to people undergoing cancer treatment. She includes a gift tag with each hat that says, “Knit with Love by Christine, Two-Time Cancer Fighter.” Her oncology nurses love the positive messaging and can see the impact the generous gifts make on other people fighting cancer. Christine added, “There is hope - there’s always hope, even in your most difficult moments.” And the gift of her hats brings exactly that - hope. Thank you, Christine, for your kindness and generosity for others!

🏌️‍♂️ The countdown is on! Our Annual Golf Invitational is just one month away! ⛳️ Get ready for a day of fun, competition, and supporting a great cause.

Don’t miss out—click the link in our bio to register today! 🏆

Many thanks to our amazing summer intern, Katie! 🌟 Katie helped create a toolkit for our Fresh Start program, providing important information and easy set-up for those looking to make a difference in their community. We appreciate your hard work and wish you all the best! 💼✨

A huge THANK YOU to our amazing volunteers who came out this week to help us stuff backpacks with school supplies for students in need! 📝✏️ Your support helps ensure that kids in our community start the school year with everything they need to succeed. We could not have done it without you; thank you for showing up for our community! 💙

🎉 We are thrilled to congratulate our 60 outstanding scholarship recipients! 🌟

Join us in celebrating the 58 recipients of the Next Generation Scholarship and the 2 recipients of the Dr. Marcia A. Sherman Scholarship. SHC is proud to support students who are passionate about helping others and pursuing a career in health care. Your hard work, dedication, and passion inspire us all. Here’s to a bright future ahead! 📚✨

Save the date! We are two months away from our Annual Golf Invitational! 🏌🏻‍♂️

Players will enjoy a good-spirited competition on a 27-hole golf course on Monday, September 23rd at Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone, New Jersey. This includes 9 holes on the Hickory Course, the only USGA-rated par 3 course in the USA, and 18 holes on the traditional Highlands Course.
Proceeds from the Annual Golf Invitational will help Summit Health Cares continue its mission of supporting people in need and helping our neighbors in underserved communities gain access to the medical, educational and social services they need to live a healthier life.

Visit onecau.se/shcgolf2024 to get tickets and learn more; we hope to see you there! ⛳️

Our Back-to-School Supply Drive ends ONE WEEK from today!

Now, we’ve made it even easier to donate:
simply text “supplydrive” to 44834 and you’ll be texted a link to donate! Additionally, you can still click the link in our bio to be taken to our page.

Help us ensure that kids have the same opportunities to start the school year off prepared to be successful! We appreciate your support.

This week, we are highlighting Subaru (in conjunction with LLS), who last week dropped off a donation of almost 100 beautiful fleece blankets for our patients. This is the second year in a row Subaru has done this for us and this was a particularity meaningful donation for them, for the men of Subaru talked to us about how cancer has touched their lives in the past year.

Summit Health Cares is so grateful for this donation, which is in-line with our goal to help maintain the emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of patients fighting cancer throughout their treatment, increasing quality of life and chances of survival. What wonderful gifts for us to give to patients to keep them warm and cozy during their treatment. Thank you, Subaru!

🎉 Happy Birthday to Sam, our amazing Development & Special Events Manager!

Wishing you a year filled with joy, success, health, and happiness. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead! 🥳🎂🎉

Several weeks ago, the Becton Dickinson (BD) interns partnered with us to kick off their summer work terms and spent the afternoon assembling period supply kits. They were able to pack over 800 supply kits for New Jersey residents currently facing period poverty!

BD’s volunteer effort supports Summit Health Cares’ Fresh Start Period Initiative – a program designed to ensure menstrual equity and prevent period poverty by providing hygiene products to families who need them, including pads, tampons, diapers, baby wipes, and soap.

A HUGE thank you to everyone at BD for spending the afternoon with us! Thanks to their support, we were able to provide our community partners with essential supplies.

Menopause is a natural part of life, and every woman’s experience is unique. However, you are not alone. From managing symptoms to finding the right support, we’re here to share tips and resources to help you navigate this transition.

Happy 4th of July from Summit Health Cares! 🇺🇸 Today, we celebrate the values of freedom, unity, and community. As we enjoy the festivities, let’s also remember to care for one another and strive for a healthier future for all. Stay safe and have a wonderful Independence Day! 🎆

Can you believe June is already over? Throughout the month, we focused on dental hygiene education and women’s wellness, by distributing menstrual and incontinence products. We had fantastic turnout from our Summit Health/CityMD volunteers and we cannot wait to welcome the staff who will be joining us in July. Thank you for your generous support and donations, which enable Summit Health and CityMD staff to give their time and care to our community in need!

Costs for school supplies are on the rise this year – the average household will need to spend $103/student on school supplies alone. 📚✏️

When students and their families are forced to face these financial barriers, they may develop a “scarcity mindset”, especially when there is more than one child in the home. With your help, we can ensure that kids have the same opportunities to start the school year off prepared to be successful!

To donate, please visit: https://rightgift.com/nonprofits/summit-health-cares/wish-lists/07bd89e9-9e3a-449c-9a9d-17216e2886d2.

For this week’s Volunteer Spotlight, we’re taking a trip back to May when we held a Food Health Hope event at Toni’s Kitchen in Montclair, NJ. During this event, we provided health screenings for patients, and our OBGYN RN distributed menstrual products to address period poverty. Additionally, we offered education on menopause and provided incontinence underwear to those in need. Thanks to all of our volunteers involved!

Taking care of your oral health is important, as it impacts not just your smile but your entire body! Healthy gums and teeth play an important role in managing metabolic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Swipe to see how each affects your body and what you can do to ensure healthy oral hygiene!

Throughout the month, we have been at local food pantries spreading the word about the vital link between oral hygiene, heart health, and metabolic conditions. Each participant has received not only this valuable information but also a zip pouch filled with a new toothbrush, brush cover, toothpaste, and floss to set them up for a strong teeth and gums and a healthy smile.

Our dedicated volunteers have been hard at work screening for HbA1c, hypertension, and BMI at our local food pantries! This month, we’re not just focused on metabolic rates, but are also spreading the word about the vital link between oral hygiene, heart health, and metabolic conditions.

🎉 Happy Birthday to Andrea, our amazing Director of Corporate Partnerships! 🎂 We are constantly inspired by your hard work and dedication and appreciate everything you do for Summit Health Cares. Wishing you a year filled with health, happiness, and prosperity! 🥳

This week, we are highlighting one of our volunteers, Stacey Laken, who has graciously taken the lead on the Art Cart program. Stacey is a wonderful artist (and art teacher!) who designed the sign on the front of the cart, “Gail’s Art Cart”, and organized all of the kits on the cart. Stacey now brings the cart around to patients to introduce the kits and is planning to organize a large art project for patients in the future. Thank you for donating your time and talent, Stacey!

Happy Pride Month from Summit Health Cares!

This month, we celebrate love, diversity, and the power of inclusivity. At Summit Health Cares, we believe in creating a world where everyone feels seen, heard, and supported. Join us in honoring the LGBTQ+ community and advocating for healthcare equality for all. 🏳️‍🌈💪

It is hard to believe that it has been almost one month since our 11th Annual Gala! Here are some more photos from the evening; you can now check out the entire album on our Facebook! Take a look and tag a friend if you see them!

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Today, there are over 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S. alone.

On National Cancer Survivors Day, we come together to honor the ongoing advancements in research dedicated to finding cures and treatment, the supportive resources offered to aid patients along their path, and most significantly, being cancer-free. At Summit Health Cares, our mission is to ensure that our cancer patients and their loved ones have the necessary support to confidently join the 18 million survivors. Through our myriad of resources, such as the Comfort Cart, Pet Therapy, our Mind/Body/Spirit classes, and much more, we are here for you every step of the way.

Our team was busy last week for Period Poverty Awareness Week!

On Monday, our volunteers dedicated their time to pack 28 boxes, which included over 2,800 pouches equaling almost 22,400 hygiene products packed and ready to be shipped to middle schools, high schools, homeless shelters, and domestic violence women’s shelters throughout New Jersey, Oregon or Connecticut.

On Wednesday at the Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges (IFPO), we conducted screenings for our Food Health Hope participants. In recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month, we distributed sunscreen. Additionally, our volunteer from Summit Health, an OBGYN Nurse Practitioner, provided washable period underwear and shared information about menopause with our clients.

And finally on Thursday, our Food Health Hope event was held at Toni’s Kitchen in Montclair NJ. While administering health screenings, our OBGYN RN distributed menstrual products to address period poverty and provided education  on menopause and gave incontinence underwear.

Want to be a part of eradicating period poverty for women? Purchase a period item from our campaign, linked in bio.

Every Friday before Memorial Day is “Don’t Fry Day”! As May is Skin Cancer Awareness month, The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated today to raise awareness of skin cancer prevention and to encourage everyone to protect their skin as they head outdoors to kick off the summer season.

Check out the next slide to see how you can easily prevent skin cancer by being smart when you’re in the sun.

Protect yourself and those you love by reminding them that today (and every day) is !