Holy Cross Ministries to benefit from fundraiser

Intermountain Catholic

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Holy Cross Sister Miriam Joanne Frankenfield helps the Promotoras during a health clinic. Courtesy photo/Holy Cross Ministries

SALT LAKE CITY — This year the Promotoras program of Holy Cross Ministries will be one of the recipients of Love UT Give UT.

On March 22,the Community Foundation of Utah will lead a statewide effort to bring together Utahns for 24 hours of unprecedented giving.

This day will support some of the organizations that make Utah special, among them the Promotoras program, which is a bilingual, bi-cultural outreach program stationed at low-income clinics and parishes throughout the Salt Lake area.

The Promotoras teach weekly classes on prenatal health, violence prevention, diet and nutrition, smoking and alcohol abuse, and other health topics to hundreds of mothers every year. They help families access community resources, find insurance for their children, refer them to doctors, and answer questions. Promotoras also visit people in their homes to ensure that families with critical needs get help and support.

"Our work is for our community," said Fanny Vernal, a Promotora who focuses on giving health education classes mainly to Latino women who are low income and young and who might be unfamiliar with local health care and food options. Many of these women face discrimination.

"Sometimes people cannot communicate what they need so I function as a mediator," Vernal said. "I help a lot with Medicaid and emergency Medicaid. Sometimes people received papers or calls they don’t understand, so I [translate for] them or make phone calls and explain what’s been said."

The Promotoras live in the communities they serve, and help other women who rely on their friends and neighbors for education and support. The program has served the community since 2000, and helps ensure that Utah women, no matter their ethnicity or income level, have access to resources for their families.

Love UT Give UT is a virtual fundraising that, according to the organization website, has been successful in other states, raising tens of millions of dollars for charities in a fun and collaborative way to bring new donors to thousands of organizations.

The organization is partnering with non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, corporations, colleges and universities, and local governments "to make sure people give to the max on March 22, 2013," said the website.

The donations through Love UT Give UT are received by the Razoo Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity that operates a donor-advised fund to fulfill donor advisements. Any individual may donate.

The nonprofit organization, in this case the Promotoras program of Holy Cross Ministries, will receive the full donation, less a flat rate of 5 percent, which will cover Razoo Foundation’s fees.

"Love UT Give UT is a chance for each of us to make a real impact by adding our donations to thousands more," reads in a statement from Love UT Give UT.

All donations are tax deductible, and donors will receive a receipt and have a record of their giving. The nonprofit organizations will receive contact information for each donor. The minimum donation is $10. There is no maximum donation limit.

HOW TO GIVE on March 22

1. Log on to www.loveutgiveut.org.

2. Search for the Promotoras Program or Holy Cross Ministries.

3. Donate.