Vail Valley Charitable Fund: Lifting up those who need it lifts up all of us
Vail Valley Charitable Fund
Over the years, many of my friends and family members have had trips to the hospital, undergone surgeries and experienced other unforeseen medical events that have happened while living in this amazing place we call home. When I think about my own personal experiences, I feel so incredibly lucky to have been able to pay for these events as they arise and have had health insurance to see me through and help me get by.
With that said, having insurance isn’t enough to afford the care we need sometimes. We also need low premiums, affordable deductibles, quality care — the list goes on and on, and trying to make ends meet becomes never-ending. My wish is that one day we can live in a world where everyone has access to affordable, high-quality health insurance. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Luckily, we have organizations like the Vail Valley Charitable Fund to step in and help when people need it most.
In August of 2022, I received a call from Dr. Diane Voytko. She wanted to discuss the possibility of my becoming a board member with the Vail Valley Charitable Fund. She explained to me that the purpose of the organization is to provide financial assistance to individuals and families who live and/or work in the Vail Valley who are experiencing a medical crisis. After this informative conversation, and then remembering that previous colleagues Terri Reichert and Brooke Skjonsby both worked for the VVCF as well, how could I say no?
One of my goals over the last several years of living and raising my family in Vail has been to become more involved in the community. While broad in nature, this community opens up an incredible number of opportunities for one to achieve such a goal. Aside from sitting on the VVCF board, I am proud to say that I sit on the board for High Country Human Resources Association, which helps HR professionals and supports businesses in our mountain communities. Additionally, I created and continue to facilitate a community program that gives community members the opportunity to discuss important topics around diversity, equity and inclusion in our valley.
Specific to the Vail Valley Charitable Fund, this organization aligns with everything I have been doing to be more active as a community member and this mission connects with my values as a human being. Our country needs higher quality and enhanced accessibility to health care, and it needs to be available for anyone and everyone. Until that happens, we have organizations like the VVCF to step in and provide support when a crisis presents itself. It indeed takes a village.
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Everyone needs a helping hand at some point in their lives. To give families, individuals, children and adults from all walks of life the ability to meet basic and medical needs when a crisis happens is an incredibly great feeling that not everybody gets to experience. Reading through the applications each month is an extremely humbling experience that gives me a closer connection to this community.
On top of that, I get to do this work alongside of a special group of individuals on the board who all come from different backgrounds and have diverse experiences and ways of thinking about the help we offer. In the end, everyone on the board is passionate about helping those who need to be lifted up during a difficult time. While it absolutely supports the individual, it also helps us become a stronger and more viable community.
