Dear Friends,
I’m going to get right to the point. Between all our Marist Brothers’ retirement facilities – home to 77 elderly and disabled Brothers – it’s getting tougher each day to cover the cost of essential daily medical supplies. Your gift will allow us to continue caring for our Brothers’ health and wellness needs. Without your help, I fear we may be looking at dire consequences.
Many of these supplies are probably in your medicine cabinet right now – although you may not think much about them. You need them, so you buy them. But when you need these same supplies for 77 men, you think about them often. Do we have enough on hand? Can we afford them this month?
I’m talking about blood pressure monitors for Brothers suffering hypertension and blood glucose testing supplies for those diagnosed with diabetes. There are also supplies to dress wounds, bandages to wrap sprained or strained muscles, saline solutions to soothe irritated nasal passages, and ointments to treat rashes. To preserve a Brother’s dignity when age leaves him with decreased bladder or bowel control, essential supplies include bed underpads and protective undergarments.
Last year our out-of-pocket expenses for these kinds of supplies totaled more than $20,000! We made it, but our budget was just about tapped out. With medical supply prices on the rise, we expect this year’s costs to increase by more than 20 percent! We urgently need an additional $5,000 to meet the growing expense this year!
Your gift today could mean the difference between a
well-managed health issue and a serious illness.
That’s how much your support means!
If you’ve ever cared for an elderly loved one then you understand that these supplies are needed on a daily basis – and the supplies must be routinely replenished! You also know that these critical supplies can take a bite out of your budget. Now multiply that cost by 77 – accounting for all the elderly and disabled Brothers we are so privileged to care for. Suddenly that “bite” becomes a monstrous gulp.
No quick band-aid fix solves this mounting problem!
Only your support can help me safeguard my elderly and disabled Brother’s health and wellness.
I assure you, any amount you can afford will matter – whether that’s $15 or $150! It’s like the two nickels traveling with my letter. One coin alone barely buys anything, but the balance doubles when you add the second nickel. In the same way, if every Marist Brothers’ friend sends what they can, we’ll keep increasing our fund for medical supplies. With your help, we’ll have the $5,000 needed to safely and securely care for our Brothers’ health and wellness needs.
As soon as your gift arrives, the Brothers and I will want to express our deep gratitude for your kindness. So please write your prayer intentions on the enclosed donation response card and return it to me along with your support. Every Marist Brother will include your intentions in his prayers, for you and your loved ones.
With that I will close my note by saying once again how much we appreciate your continued devotion to our elderly and disabled Marist Brothers. You are so much more than a friend – you are a cherished member of our extended Marist Family. As it is with all families, miles may separate us but you are always in our hearts and in our prayers.
God bless you for caring so deeply about our Brothers,
Br. Hugh P. Turley, F.M.S.
Director of Development
