Care & Comfort makes donation
Care & Comfort and the staff of their Aroostook County branch recently selected Anah Temple Shrine’s Sunshine Club as the recipient of their semi-annual Jean Funds gift.
Photo courtesy of Barbara Cyr
Care & Comfort and their Aroostook County staff recently presented a donation to the Sunshine Club. Pictured from left are: Robert Palmer, representing the Anah Temple Shrine’s Sunshine Club, receiving Care & Comfort’s gift from Susan Watson; Susan Giguere, Care & Comfort’s founder and CEO; Marcel Daigle; Lee Jellison; and Chris Morse.
The club’s focus is helping Maine youngsters being treated at Shriners Hospitals for Children by paying their transportation costs to and from the hospitals, including those in Boston and Springfield, Mass. A group of 10 women who wanted to help children and their families established the Sunshine Club in the early 1900s. Today more than 1,000 people belong to the club, which is based at the Anah Shrine Center, but draws members from across Anah’s service area.
“During the year 2014, we learned so much about the two Shrine chapters in Maine, Anah and Kora, and their efforts to support and raise money for their New England hospitals. Earlier this year we presented a gift to the hospitals, and now we are thrilled to assist the Sunshine Club in their related mission,” said Susan D. Giguere Care & Comfort’s founder and CEO.
The Shriners Hospitals provide the highest quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries and other special healthcare needs within a compassionate, family-centered and collaborative care environment.
Children receive no-cost medical care at the hospitals, but families can incur substantial traveling expenses to get to the facilities. Whether they choose to drive, fly or take a bus, the Sunshine Club for Children helps pay for the cost of traveling.
“Our Aroostook County employees chose this organization in order to help Aroostook County families, and I am very pleased with their choice,” added Giguere. “Caring for our neighbors and communities is very important to each of us.”
According to Robert (Boomer) Palmer, Outer Guard, Anah Shrine, who accepted the check, “Membership in the Sunshine Club is open to men and women. Members do not need to be affiliated with the Shrine.”
This gift was made possible through The Jeans Fund, an ongoing collaborative fund-raising effort between Care & Comfort and its employees. Jean Day lets staff leave their usual work attire at home and wear jeans on Fridays for a $2 per person donation. The company matches every dollar raised, and the employees of each branch select their local beneficiary.
