Support from Within

I want to follow up on last week’s column about the power of private gifts. Today, we wrap up Employee Giving Week, which has been a great success. So far, thousands of members of the UMMC workforce have donated to a Medical Center area of their preference or signed up for payroll deduction.

The most powerful and meaningful endorsement of what we are doing for Mississippians may be the support we receive from within. Your choice to give to the school, department or program that you are passionate about signals that you understand the impact it has on Mississippians and that you want to further its work. I am moved by this level of internal support! Thank you!

Your gifts MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Some of you wrote a message on a card Office of Development and Alumni Affairs staff provided at one of the tables set up this week. Your comments responding to the prompt “I Give Because” were heartfelt and meaningful. Our workforce and students have such a caring spirit. It’s inspiring.

This one, though, pictured below, totally encapsulates why I’m so proud to be the leader of this institution. This is the WHY.

There’s not much more I can say than what’s written on that card to showcase how amazing the people who wear a UMMC badge are. Mississippians are blessed to have you working for their health.

The message on that card captures the heart of who we are. As I’ve said before, I know that working here isn’t always easy. It’s a big job we have in front of us. We work at UMMC because we care. We work at UMMC because we believe. And I love that so many of you who see the patients, students and communities who benefit from our work choose to give to support those efforts. Your generosity proves that our greatest advocates are the individuals who know this place best. Giving starts here, and because of you, so does A Healthier Mississippi.