<strong><small><small>DID YOU KNOW? </strong></small>One-hundred million people globally are pushed into extreme poverty due to healthcare expenses each year. —</small> <strong><small>Maximizing healthcare access and awareness directly impacts physical and financial well-being.</strong></small>
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THE ORGANIZATION
Americares helps ensure that the health and wellness of people in crisis is not forgotten. They offer emergency programs that help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, while also providing quality healthcare to those who have none, as well as access to medicine and supplies.
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Mental health not forgotten
Americares was there for Keila when she hit rock bottom. When she battled COVID-19 in the spring of 2021, along with her husband and two sons, she wasn’t sure she’d get through it. Her own symptoms were mild but the isolation during quarantine took a toll on her mental health. Things worsened when her daughter was born and rushed to a large hospital an hour away. Keila’s husband watched over the infant, leaving Keila recovering by herself, unable to have visitors. “I felt alone and separated,” says Keila.
She reached out for help from Gardner South Clinic, a safety-net clinic that serves low-income, uninsured patients in her California hometown.
Northern Trust and other donors have assisted throughout the pandemic by providing funding in support of:
The purchase of 17 million masks, gowns, gloves and other personal protective equipment
Training more than 43,000 health workers in topics like mental health, psychosocial service and outbreak preparedness
Allowing more than 500,000 patients to be seen in person and via tele-health in Colombia, El Salvador, India, Peru and the U.S.
Americares provided Gardner, and more than 50 other safety-net clinics in California, with mental health and preparedness training for health (con't)
Volunteers sort supplies at a community health center.
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workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The training is part of Americares' efforts to build capacity for behavioral health services in safety-net clinics around the world.
Guadalupe Perez, clinic manager at Gardner Health Center in nearby San Jose, notes “Pandemics don’t bring good things to anybody. Whether you’re in healthcare or education or anywhere, it just brings an additional stress.” In the worst cases, Perez and her team saw patients who were in a crisis state. “We were able to implement the Americares training and calm the patients down,” says Perez. Keila received behavioral healthcare on the phone, via telehealth. Having that access made a huge difference. “It’s easier instead of going to a whole different [organization] and not knowing the people. I know the staff here and they know my history,” Keila says.
Patient receives assistance at a COVID-19 mobile heath site in India.
“The coronavirus pandemic has brought into focus the importance of the health and strength of our communities,” Mike O’Grady, chairman and chief executive officer of Northern Trust Corporation, said at its onset. “We are aligning our philanthropic resources to support organizations serving those directly affected by the pandemic, including front-line healthcare workers and people struggling to make ends meet.”
As the pandemic continued, Northern Trust continued this support, which included aid to NHS Charities, World Food Program and UNICEF for food and healthcare, as well as vaccine readiness.
Northern Trust’s donations helped fund Esperanza’s daily work throughout 2021, which included the creation of four mass vaccination sites across underserved areas on Chicago’s southwest side, and enabled administration of 130,000 doses. The organization also launched an initiative led by bilingual physicians to provide COVID-19 vaccine educational forums targeted to patients, community groups, neighborhood networks and local residents.
In addition, Esperanza considerably increased its mental health counseling team and created a daily on-call workflow whereby a designated mental health counselor is assigned to “float” each day in-clinic, allowing for immediate handoffs from primary care providers as well as the capacity to address walk-ins and emergencies—all while continuing to see their regular patients.
Solving for emergencies
Juan* is one young man who benefited from Esperanza’s dedication to mental health services last year. He had never received services at Esperanza, called to make an appointment for therapy during the winter. He was in acute distress, as he had been diagnosed with COVID-19. While those symptoms were now on the decline, he had a history of depression and had been on anti-depressants in the past. He was now feeling a sense of overwhelming despair. (con't)
An Esperanza physician attends to a child during his check-up.
Esperanza aims to deliver health and hope to Chicago’s underserved communities through bilingual, high-quality primary care, behavioral health and wellness services regardless of immigration or insurance status, or ability to pay.
Esperanza (con't)
Even though Esperanza had an available appointment for Juan in just a couple days, the new therapist offered to contact him to conduct a teletherapy session with him the same day.
Two hours later, Juan and the therapist were able to connect for a session, significantly reducing his distress and putting him on a better path—including a follow-up the next week.
*Not the patient’s real name
Esperanza staff performing their duties and working with the community.
Using unique skills to aid orgs
“As a south-side Chicago native, I am particularly drawn to these communities, and my family traces its roots through these communities. My sister was a primary care provider (physician) at Esperanza’s Marquette Park clinic for three years, and when I learned of all the wonderful things this organization does for the communities, I was compelled to be involved. I am not a healthcare provider—the healthcare workers, providers, staff and everyone out on the front lines of providing high-quality healthcare to these communities are true heroes and deliverer of hope. But I do what I can, which is to raise funds and awareness, and bring my network into the organization in any way that I can.”
Mike Chico VP, Wealth Management, Northern Trust Board Member, Esperanza Chicago, Illinois
A volunteer-run non-profit organization, Chiens Guides d’Aveugles au Luxembourg is a community of blind or visually impaired people who support each other with problems they encounter living daily life with a guide dog and safeguard one another’s interests and dignity.
Providing assistance and friendship
Through grants from Northern Trust and others, the organization is able to train and provide guide dogs to blind residents who can benefit from them.
Renee’s independence was highly restricted until she received her first guide dog in 2004. She had stopped going out due to lack of assistance. “Everything changed when I got my first guide-dog,” she says. “At first it was only short routes, which I learned before with the cane. It was difficult for me to fully trust the dog, that's why I only took routes I already knew to be completely safe. After some time I trusted him more and began to enjoy my newly found freedom. Thanks to my guide dog, my self-confidence was strengthened, and after trusting him more year after year our routes only got bigger. Even going spontaneously to the bakery was a problem of the past simply because the guide-dog is available 24/7, and he won't even complain. Today, thanks to my guide dog, I can go wherever I want. I also learned to take the bus, train and even new routes thanks to him. My life quality has improved. Now I can't even imagine a life without a guide dog, because it isn't only a tool, but rather a friend for life.”
Clients and volunteers during guide-dog training.
The Kythe Foundation strives to provide children diagnosed with cancer and chronic illnesses a semblance of a normal childhood despite being confined to the hospital. It also offers Child Life Services, psychosocial support in conjunction with other medical treatment.
3-year-old Samantha, pictured with her mother, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in June 2019.
Bringing joy to hospitalized children
In a recent online activity, the Kythe Foundation was able to gather 30 children in an afternoon of fun, games and a raffle in a “New Year virtual party.” Using funds contributed by Northern Trust, the children in the e-party were provided with meals for their entire family, and allowance for internet connection, raffle prizes and giveaways. Meals were also provided for 100 children who were not able to participate in the virtual party, and were confined in Kythe affiliate hospitals.
“We inspire hope,” says Karen D. Rivera, partner relations manager for Kythe Foundation. “We create a culture of caring. Make hospitals a happier place for children diagnosed with cancer and chronic illness.”
Teaching resiliency
“I provide strength-based strategies for children and youth. Having lost a parent to cancer some years ago and seeing the impact on my own children has motivated me to provide support to other children, wherever possible. The organization I support serves as a very important reminder that it takes a village to raise our children. By providing emotional supports for children and youth, we are ensuring they do not feel alone and have a ‘village’ they can rely on.”
Laughter is the best medicine
“I was elected to the board to support its recruiting efforts. As a parent, I cannot imagine how frightening being hospitalized would be for a critically ill child. The organization helps bring laughter, hope and strength to these children and I am happy to give my time to an organization that is there solely to make a kid smile at one of the most difficult times of their life. The community of volunteer hospital magicians is AMAZING! The time, dedication and training required to become a certified bedside magician is significant and then they are asked to commit (a minimum of one year of service) to volunteering the same day every week at one of our partner hospitals. They truly make the magic happen.”
