Groups of donors found different ways to collect toys, clothing and food gift cards to help patients and their families celebrate the holidays who otherwise would not be able to. Such items were collected by the LAC+USC Utilization Review Department in boxes set up in their office. Latino Comp, an asso-ciation of legal professionals with expertise in Workers Compensation, supported CARES for the second year in a row at their Holiday Dinner Dance. A fitness gym, 8amPharmacy, held a “Gift 2 Lift” Toy Drive and Workout; Talking Tax Solutions donated teddy bears for Pediatric Cancer patients. The DHS Surgical Navigation Access Program and Patient Financial Services each sponsored individual families by donating specific items they requested, including a bike!

Newsletter

President’s Message

CARES, Celebrating “50 Years of Service”

CARES News Page 1 January 2019

Dear CARES Members,

As we start 2019 celebrating 50 years of service to our patients and their families at LAC+USC Medical Center, I would like to thank all of the organizations that made our holiday gift giving such a great success. The children received many gifts and much needed items such as blankets and warm clothing. The parents were so appreciative and the children so very happy. I would also like to thank all of the individuals from the organizations who came to the Medical Center to be part of the activities, our volunteers, CARES Board Members, and everyone else who took the time to participate.

I would like to welcome two of these individuals, Laura Wilson, President of Latino Comp and Mona Ysabal, a member of Latino Comp and retired employee of LAC+USC Medical Center and USC, to the CARES Board of Directors. We are thrilled that you chose to join us.

2019 will be a very busy year for CARES with many projects in the works. We look forward to sharing our activities with you throughout the year.

Best wishes,

Compassionate Groups Partner with CARES to Give Patients and Their Families Holiday Gifts

Mindy Halls President

CARES Website: lacusccares.org

Laura Wilson & Mona Ysabal with unwrapped toys collected

for patients by Latino Comp

National Charity League Moms & Daughters (L standing) with triplets’ Dad & Brother (on bike), CARES VP Karen Santos (R standing) helped patients to “shop” for

free clothing in a temporary store set up by CARES for the Holiday Giving Event, NCL Holiday Chair Pam Rasmussen (R sitting) helped with all aspects of the project.

The mother of 3 newborn boys requested a bike for her older son so he would know he was still important. Unselfishly, he promised to teach his brothers to ride when they got older. CARES office

staff enjoyed purchasing items for the triplets and fulfilling unusual requests for other families.

Bike Helmet

Baby Items

CARES News Page 2 January 2019

Community Organizations Work with CARES to make “The Holidays Bright!”

The National Charity League of San Marino is a non-profit group that fosters mother-daughter relationships in a philanthropic organization that is committed to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences. This wonderful mother and daughter organization has served the patients of the Los Angeles County+University of Southern California Medical Center with numerous donations and projects for the last forty years or longer. Their primary area of service is donating thousands of toys, food gift certificates, and clothing to the patients’ families during the December Holidays. As many as 100 young women and their mothers participate in this

event through their volunteer efforts of sorting toys for age and gender appropriateness, shopping for gifts, and putting “Santa Sacks” together for the families to take home. They make one huge sack of gifts per child.

Old Fashioned Carolers: What a fantastic trio of singers! CARES Development Director met them at the South Pasadena Women’s Club. They were asked to come and sing to patients in the Medical Center Units, and sure enough, there they were singing at the patients’ beside and bringing tremendous joy to all who listened. The staff were literally dancing in the aisles, and taking selfies with singers and patients. There were smiles all around. The magic did not end there as this trio knew many songs in other languages and sang those upon request.

NCL volunteers spread joy, one family at a time!

The Woman’s Club of South Pasadena is a philanthropic organization with a long history of chari-table and service activities. Representatives from their key philanthropies were invited to their Decem-ber Holiday Meeting. The theme of the event was “The Spirit of Giving.” CARES was honored to represent the LAC+USC Medical Center. Special gifts and cash were awarded to CARES by Philanthropy Chairs Mary Cox and Sally Ehrheart, and President Mavis Hansen. The Woman’s Club had prepared two hundred personal hygiene gift kits to be given to the patients who really need them while they are hospitalized. The Woman’s Club has been donating gifts to the patients at the Medical Center for over 40 years.

Town and Gown of USC is a non-profit philan-thropic organization whose purpose is to support USC through scholarships for students, building and campus enhance-ments, and cultural programs. Town and Gown has long been a friend to the Los Angeles Co./USC Medical Center Auxil-iary. Many of the CARES Board Mem-bers are long time members of both ‘Town and Gown’ and ‘CARES.’ At Town and Gown’s Annual December Holiday

Meeting, their members donate toys and gifts that are provided to children who receive their medical care at the LAC+USC Medical Center.

Paula Ciaramitaro President, T and G

Margie Dolinski, CARES Development Director, receives gifts collected by Town and Gown

Mary Cox and Sally Ehrheart, Philanthropy Chairs, Woman’s Club of South Pasadena

CARES News Page 3 January 2019

In alphabetical order:

Martha Arterberry Elizabeth Baca Dr. Ahmet Baydur Dr. Paul Beigelman

Drs. Howard Belzberg & Linda Rever

Cynthia Berne Beverly Biber Yvonne Biller Dr. & Mrs. Jay Brown Ray & Karen Burkland Linda Cantwell Vicki Carlson Joel & Nancy Castillo

Beatriz Ceniceros

Linda & Kenneth Chan Agnes Chaney Theresa Chavez Adelina Contreras Carol DeMeester Dr. John & Colleen Donovan Leslie Ericson Emma Farmer Donald & Jackie Feinstein Kittie Frantz, R.N., N.P. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Insurance

Dr. Doris Graves

Richard Guizado

Teresa Guzman

Jim & Mindy Halls

Margaret Hatfield

Ann C. Hayman

L. Julian Haywood

Edythe Hinkston

Dr. Kaaren Hoffman

Roger J. Holt

Toby Horn

Gloria Howard

Georgina Joya

Ralph Jung

Barbara Kaplowitz

Harvey Kern

Jill Koller

Maryann Kristan

Dr. Francis Y. K. Lau

Dr. Charles Linden

Kathleen S. Lohr

Olivia Lubensky

Barry Lundy

Richard Marciniak

Richard F. Martin

Consuelo Martinez

Weta & Allen Mathies

Laura McDowell

Mildred Milgrom, M.D.

Janice Nelson, M.D.

Anna Nudelman

Hon. & Mrs. Ronald Ohata

Belle Peters

Roslyn Portnoy

Lois Ramer, R.N., N. P.

Kathryn Ramirez

Karen Long Santos

Katherine Sargent

Dr. & Mrs. William F. Schubert

Rene Seidel Smart & Final Charitable Foundation Sheridan Smith Dr. & Mrs. Benjamin Stafford

Craig Steele Dr. Cynthia Stotts Annie Ternate, R.N. Ruth Turner Linda Vachon, M.D. Women’s Club of So.Pasadena Elizabeth Woodard Dr. & Mrs. Paul Wu Ruth Young Gloria Zappaterreno, Ph.D.

*Ashton, Gage, & Saskia

If you would like to donate,

please watch your mail for

CARES Valentine Mail Appeal

Jack Bethune, MD

Special Recognition $40000: Faculty Medical Group, Inc. $27243: Estate of Wilma Bamberger $5000: Alexandra Levine, M.D.

$5000: C & R Newman Family $2000: Warren Weber $1191: National Charity League $1000: Bonnie Borchardt $1000: Rodanthi Kitridou, M.D. $1000: Shawn McGowan $1000: Tom Moore

$1000: Mark Thomas Scott

*Dr. Alexandra Levine

*Jerene Chiaro

Jane Donovan

Thank you to the following generous “Heroes” who have donated between

11/26/18 and 1/18/19:

Lucy Keeney

Dolores Rodrigues

Alphabetical Order:

Dr. Gail Anderson

Dr. Tom Berne

Dr. Sol Bernstein

Yvonne Marie Diaz

*Carol Salva Nidorf

Dr. Tom Berne

Hanna & Gerald Hayman

*Craig Steele

*Rick Oxman Aaron Lohr

Thank you to all who donated In-Kind items for patients:

Angel Interfaith Network (diapers) Bank of America Trust

Helene Born, Trudy Teshima, Pat Sorensen, Barbara Wilder,

& Jackie Jacobs (quilts in memory of Carolyn Gee)

Lilli Gih (handknit caps & hats) Alison Heyada (infant caps)

Linus Quilt Guild LKK, Beta Sigma Phi Sorority Felicia Mahood Senior Center

Jennifer Moore (handknit ponchos for nursing Mommies)

Amy Okada (ponchos) Kathrine Russell (Build-a-Bears)

Lourdes Tamayo (plush toys) Consuelo Veladez (quilts)

Wandering Foot Quilt Guild Helen Wong (ponchos, baby hats) Patients of Fary Yassamy, D.D.S.

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all

others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at

whatever cost.”

Arthur Ashe, Tennis Champion

HEROES enter through these doors!

LEVEL 1 TRAUMA CENTER

This heart next to donor indicates donations made in memory of special persons. An * indicates donations made “in honor of.”

CARES Music Program

Patient Crises Fund

Holiday Giving Program

*Nurse Recognition Fund

Joanne Moore

Jack Bethune, MD

Dr. Bernard Portnoy

*Beth Arterberry *Agnes Chaney

Carol Salminen

Mary Lees

*Weta & Allen Mathies

Aaron Lohr

*Toby Horn

CARES News Page 4 January 2019

LOS ANGELES COUNTY/USC MEDICAL CENTER AUXILIARY

1200 N. State St., Room 1900 Los Angeles, California 90033

Clara Haines served for years as the Administrator of General Hospital and then as Chief Operating Officer of LAC+USC Medical Center until her retirement. She started in the 1950s as a management analyst, and then rose to administrative positions in all the hospitals: Psych, Women’s, Pediatric Pavilion and General. She was always a staunch supporter of CARES and

worked very closely with CARES Board of Directors on all of CARES projects to benefit the patients of the Medical Center. During her years of leadership, she maintained the highest of standards and CARES was honored to have worked with her. “She really loved the CARES group,” Mark Haines. She was 94. Harvey Kern, retired Director of Public Affairs of the LAC+USC Medical Center, tells us that “at her request, there will be no services. An obituary is pending. She and her family would appreciate

donations in her memory be given to CARES:

https://www.lacusccares.org/how-to-donate.html

For personal messages of sympathy, you may reach her son, Mark Haines.” For more information, please call the CARES Office (323) 409-6941.

LAC+USC Medical Center Legend Clara Haines In Memoriam:

December 19, 2018 First of all, I want to say thank you to all the

people to take the time and money for buy all this gift to my kids. My heart was beating really fast when I saw all the gifts you brought. May God

bless you and give back everything you did. And of course I will teach my kids to do the same with another person when they grow up. This world

needs more people like you to be better and safe. My prayers for you,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you again for giving a real Christmas to

me and my family. Sincerely,

The Mom...

A letter to CARES from a patient who received holiday gifts for her children: