help_us

August 2008

Dear friends of the Calvin Ranney * Craig Wiesberg Children’s Foundation,

The summer is rapidly drawing to a close, and for the first time in 12 years, the Foundation will not be holding a benefit golf tournament. Due to my wife Margo’s illness and other complications, we have made the decision not to have a 2008 tournament. I’m sure many of you have also found your time and energy increasingly taxed over the past years. We will miss seeing all of you this year, but hope that in spite of changes, your commitment to the children and families we serve has not diminished.

Here at the Foundation, we continue daily to be made aware of the stresses and crises of the families who turn to us for help. At times we feel we have heard the story before…but for each family who comes to us, the crisis is new, sharp and frightening. Besides the serious illness or disability of a child, they may be faced with bills they cannot pay, car repairs they cannot afford, or therapeutic equipment they cannot obtain. Often the ongoing treatment of the child is at stake. Since 2007 we have averaged serving over one family per week, year-round.

Many of our referrals come from Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland. Dr. Larry Wolff of the Oncology Unit observes, “With the status of our economy now and the increase in the price of so many commodities (gasoline in particular), the burden that many of our patients endure has increased. As you know, it is difficult for many patients to make the trip to Doernbecher for clinic visits and other scheduled healthcare treatments. The Ranney-Wiesberg Foundation has filled an unique need in the support of patients seen at Doernbecher and other care facilities. The Foundation has helped patients and their families obtain the day to day necessities that many of us take for granted: food, telephone service, shoes, clothing, gasoline, school supplies and other needs.”

We also continue to be involved in supporting the Children’s Community Clinic (formerly the North Portland Nurse Practitioner Community Health Clinic, founded by Mariah Taylor) in NE Portland. The Executive Director, Mardiça Hicks, says, “Children’s Community Clinic provides high quality and compassionate pediatric primary healthcare for children (birth to 21 years old) who are uninsured or underinsured and lack access to healthcare services. For example, “Eric,” who was brought to our clinic by his mother. He was in severe pain, and had been for some time, but because she didn’t have insurance, his mother didn’t have any place to take him. After learning about our clinic she brought him in. After a brief examination Eric had to be rushed to the nearest emergency room, and once there he was quickly admitted for an emergency appendectomy. Eric has fully recovered and is doing quite well today, but had his mother waited any longer he might not be, and had our clinic not been here...

“We see these situations daily and do our best to make sure families get the care they need, but we need your help. We don’t receive federal funds so we rely on private foundations and donors like you. No amount is too big or too small. Every dollar counts—it all counts! With your help we can make sure families like Eric’s have a place to go before a routine healthcare need becomes a life threatening medical emergency.”

Please, consider making a generous gift to the Calvin Ranney * Craig Wiesberg Foundation today. Your money will go directly to children and families who have been referred to us by their care providers, to pay for critical services and expenses that they are unable to meet otherwise.

Thank you so much for your continued faithful support of the Foundation and the children.