The Pulse

New Grants Help Local Health Outreach

Heart to Heart recently received two grants -- one from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and another from the REACH Foundation -- that will energize our local health initiatives.

The grants result in approximately $160,000 in new funding that will help us enhance the health services of safety-net clinics in the metro area. We are excited that we will be able to provide additional pharmaceutical and laboratory support to several free clinics, as well as increase diabetic testing and treatment opportunities for at-risk populations in Kansas City.

Read the press release about these recent grants.

You can support our local health initiatives by volunteering at one of our upcoming health fairs or by making a financial contribution. You donation of time or money will help us stretch our resources even further in these difficult economic times.

Greensburg: 2 Years Later

It's hard to imagine that in a matter of minutes, Mother Nature could take decades of dreams and sweep them into the Kansas prairie. But that's what happened on May 4, 2007, when an F5 tornado struck the small farming community of Greensburg, KS shortly after sunset. The twister, estimated to be 1.5 miles wide, destroyed much of the town's structures.

Within 24 hours, Heart to Heart was on the scene and on the job, providing health services to survivors and emergency workers alike. We had been invited to participate in the response after Greensburg's only hospital and clinic were both destroyed. For more than a month, we had the privilege to work with incredible folks.

You can read about our response.

Today, Greensburg is on the rise, trying to become America's first all-green, eco-friendly town.

We salute the residents of Greensburg and everyone who made our response possible.

You can ensure that we're ready for the next disaster by making an online donation today.

First Friday: The Ripple Effect

"First Friday" is a special column from Heart to Heart’s CEO, Jon D. North. Published on the first Friday of every month, the column is designed to share our agenda for the coming weeks. This month’s edition focuses on how the economic climate may impact our ability to serve people around the world…

Since 1992, Heart to Heart International has been on a mission to create a healthier world. Compassionate volunteers, strategic partners and generous donors have helped us every step of the journey, so that we could help as many people as possible.

Because of supporters like you in 2008, we were able to respond to 22 crises worldwide, including a major relief effort to save lives after a massive earthquake killed more than 60,000 people in southwest China. We launched an exciting Water/Sanitation program in Central America that promises to improve health for an entire generation of young people. We celebrated our 15-year anniversary with our health partners at the American Academy of Family Physicians by improving health in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan. And much more.

For so many volunteers, partners and donors, Heart to Heart is their connection to a world in need.

Each of these initiatives impacted real people and changed millions of lives for the better.

And we did all that under the shroud of a growing economic crisis.

When the recession hit with full force earlier this year, it disproportionately impacted the operations of many nonprofits.

Industry research indicates that charitable giving is down in almost every nonprofit sector, and Heart to Heart is not exempt from this financial trend.

Here's the paradox we face: Though funding streams have decreased, global needs have only increased the demand for our humanitarian services.

We've had to tighten our belt more than once this year, while still trying to maintain critical programs in the U.S. and overseas. It's a delicate balancing act, but our staff and volunteers have risen to the challenge!

Heart to Heart Commercial: Got Game?

In the midst of a mounting crisis around the world, Heart to Heart is offering an escape from the worries of life through the game of golf. Every year, we put on the Ewing M. Kauffman Golf Classic at Kansas City's historic Oakwood Country Club. This year's event takes place on Monday, May 18.

We are looking to round out our competitive field of golfers. To promote our event and attract a few more foursomes, we turned to two local firms for help.

First, Gaut Media (pronounced "got") produced a snazzy one-minute video for us free-of-charge. Then, Professional Emercials, run by Heart to Heart alum Lori Ketterling, offered its services pro-bono, so we could target locally based companies and professional services with the video.

Here is the Heart to Heart emercial.

And check out the video below.

While you're enjoying the fruits of these donations, consider signing up your foursome or sending the emercial link to someone who might be interested in the event.