SEARHC - What's New - Healing Hand Foundation prepares to launch new campaign

Healing Hand Foundation prepares to launch new campaign

The Healing Hand Foundation — formerly The SEARHC Foundation — is asking for donations of Alaska Native artwork as it prepares to launch an ambitious "Employee-Giving Monthly Drawing Incentive Program" in mid-August.

The program features a series of monthly drawings for items ranging from Alaska Native art to a year's supply of cookies, with three separate drawings each month for different contributor levels. A calendar is being created to show some of the upcoming prizes, and the first monthly drawings take place in September.

The drawings will be for employees of Alaska Native organizations who decide to contribute to the foundation using their payroll deduction plan. The drawings are for employees of Native organizations — such as SEARHC, Tlingit & Haida Regional Housing Authority, Goldbelt Inc., Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and Mount Roberts Tramway — who are new donors or have increased their previous gifts.

"We are working hard, soliciting for donations with other Native organizations to support our mission ("Bridging the Financial Gap in Native Health Care"), bringing awareness of our foundation and making a bigger presence in the Native community," new Healing Hand Foundation Executive Director Dana Leask-Ruaro says.

The Healing Hand Foundation was started in 2001 as a non-profit corporation — separate from SEARHC — to raise money for SEARHC beneficiaries with unmet needs in durable medical goods, pharmaceuticals and patient travel. One of the biggest unmet needs is dentures, with almost 100 people on the waiting list. Other unmet needs include wheelchairs, hearing aids and specialized prescriptions, which aren't covered by the Indian Health Service.

"Our focus is to bring in new employees to join our employee-giving campaigns," Dana says. "If every employee donates $5 per pay period ($130 per year), we could have an income of $120,000 a year guaranteed revenue for our charitable award recipients."

Artists can contribute works, such as jewelry or carvings, for the monthly drawings. They should call Dana or Mabel Pittman at 364-4402 no later than July 15 to be included in this year's drawing calendar. Donations received after July 15 will go toward the 2008 drawing calendar. The artwork donations can be made in memory or honor of an individual, and contributions are tax deductible. The foundation also is taking donations for Native Food Baskets.

In addition, the foundation sells copies of the SEARHC history, "Gumboot Determination," for $20 (softcover) or $40 (hardcover).

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