210 local children helped through BRMC’s Angels Unaware program

Above, Baptist Regional Medical Center President Larry Gray helps load a box full of Christmas cheer to help one local family, part of the hospital’s Angels Unaware program.

Through the generosity of Baptist Regional Medical Center employees, 94 needy local families will have a little brighter Christmas this year.

It’s called the "Angels Unaware" program, and it’s made possible by small donations made through each BRMC employee’s regular paycheck to a fund. The $2 donations each payday allows the employees to dress more casually on Fridays – a small thing, but it makes a world of difference to those who benefit from it.

"That money really accumulates," said Teresa Stump, a BRMC Community Health Services Tech.

"It really helps these people. And the way we do this, we don’t have to get out and beg for money. We’ve got our money raised by the end of the year and I think its money a lot of us really don’t miss."

The funds are used to buy each recipient a package that includes a coat, some toys, a complete dinner with a ham and turkey, a tin of popcorn, some books, a blanket and other items.

The packages were distributed at BRMC’s Community Health Services offices last week.

All told, 210 local children were affected by the Angels Unaware program this year.

BRMC President Larry Gray was on hand to help distribute some of the items purchased with Angels Unaware funds. He said the program shows that the hospital and its employees have a commitment to the community that goes beyond just a business relationship.

"A lot of work goes into this behind the scenes," Gray said. "They do a wonderful job. I think it demonstrates the commitment to our employees to our community and that we understand that a community’s health goes far beyond what we do in the acute care hospital setting. It’s about caring for the social and family health of our community as well."

Stump said Angels Unaware has been going on for many years and originally started when employees would buy baskets of food, and leave them secretly on the porches off needy families on Christmas Day. It was moved to the main hospital as a distribution point, but has been conducted out of the Community Health Services offices for the past three years.

Applications for the Angels Unaware program are accepted every November. Employees, their family and friends, as well as anyone from BRMC’s service area, are invited to apply.

"All of us realize we are helping a lot of good families with this," Stump said. "It makes us feel good that we can make Christmas a little better for so many people."