Charleston-Area Executives Challenged To Volunteer At Crisis Ministries

February 16, 2012

Roper St. Francis Begins Shelter’s New VIP Volunteer Program with Challenge from Soup Kitchen

CHARLESTON, SC – February 16, 2012 – Crisis Ministries is launching a new volunteer program directed at Charleston’s business leaders. Every month as part of the VIP Volunteer Program, top executives from all industries are invited to lend a hand at the shelter.

Some of Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s senior executives will serve at lunchtime from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Feb. 20, 2012, to help get the VIP program started. David Dunlap President and CEO, Roper St. Francis Healthcare; Mark Dickson, VP, Mission; John Holloway, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Roper St. Francis Foundation; Johnny Jordan, CEO, Medical Society of South Carolina; Stanley Wilson, MD, President, Medical Society of South Carolina and a Roper St. Francis Physician Partner; Frederick G. Worsham, MD, Charleston Pathology and others will don aprons Monday to serve in the Soup Kitchen.

Roper St. Francis physicians and executives chose to volunteer at the shelter to celebrate final stage of fundraising for the new $6 million capital campaign for a new building. Volunteering in the soup kitchen was a natural fit because it underscores the need for good nutrition as the foundation for a health lifestyle.

The Medical Society of Charleston-one of the founding members of the Roper St. Francis system-recently donated $200,000 in matching funds to complement $300,000 raised by the shelter for its new health clinic.  Additionally, Roper St. Francis regularly makes in-kind donations of medical equipment, laboratory testing and medicine, as well as funds for the staff nurse salary. Roper’s volunteering is just one more way in which Roper St. Francis has been instrumental in supporting the shelter.

Roper St. Francis Healthcare has had the privilege of partnering with Crisis Ministries for many years, said Dunlap. Today, in an effort to expand the visibility of and support for this commendable organization that literally helps fortify our community, we are challenging our friends and colleagues in executive offices across the Lowcountry to serve for a day in 2012 as part of Crisis Ministries’ new VIP volunteer program.

Charleston area business and healthcare executives who would like to become involved with the new Crisis Ministries VIP Volunteer Program are invited to contact Steffanie Dohn at [email protected].

Founded in 1984, Crisis Ministries houses 1,200 guests annually and serves 200,000 meals to guests and area residents. The shelter offers a variety of serves like employment and educational services, legal assistance, health clinic and others. To find out more about Crisis Ministries, visit charlestonhomeless.org or call 843-723-9477.