In a wondrous display of generosity, Wonder® bread selected the Weill Cornell Community Clinic as an inspirational charity as part of its "Share the Wonder" program.
Wonder donated $10,000 to the Medical College's student-run clinic, dedicated to helping underserved and uninsured New Yorkers, for making a difference in the lives of others.
"Inspiration has been Wonder bread's most important ingredient for more than 90 years and has helped make it an American Classic," said Brand Manager for the bakers of Wonder Tameika Miller. "We are celebrating Wonder's heritage by supporting local community organizations that inspire us daily and we are proud to support the mission and dedicated efforts of the Weill Cornell Community Clinic."
Clinic leaders, who are planning an expansion that will double the clinic's patient population, say they are appreciative.
"We are thrilled and surprised," said Megan Riddle, co-executive director of the clinic and a fourth-year M.D.-Ph.D. student at Weill Cornell. "It really puts us another significant step closer to our goal of being able to double our capacity, which is our objective for this coming year."
Founded in 2003, the clinic provides free primary care, women's health and mental health services to more than 100 patients a year who slip between the health care safety net's holes and have nowhere else to turn.
The clinic — located on the fourth floor of Helmsley Tower and funded entirely by donations and grants and staffed by volunteer students, physicians and social workers — collaborates with pharmacies to get prescription medications at discounted rates. It also has agreements with Weill Cornell physicians and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for consultations and imaging and diagnostic tests at reduced cost. Social workers screen patients for health insurance eligibility.
Always searching for creative ways to raise money, clinic leaders stumbled across Wonder bread's "Share the Wonder" program, which was launched earlier this year as a way of celebrating the brand's 90 years as a staple in American households and communities.
During the 90-day Share the Wonder campaign, Wonder is inviting people to visit its Facebook page and nominate inspiring charities in their local communities. Wonder is selecting nine charities — one a week for nine weeks — from across the country and donating $10,000 to each, for a total of $90,000. Nominations will be accepted until April 13.
"The Share the Wonder promotion is an opportunity for consumers to share stories of charitable work that inspires them and for Wonder to recognize the impact inspiration can have on all of our lives," Miller said.
On a whim, Josh Salvi, co-executive director of the clinic and third-year M.D.-Ph.D. student at Weill Cornell, submitted a couple of paragraphs describing the organization on Wonder's Facebook page.
He received an email reply a month later.
The clinic won, making it the first charity Wonder supported through the Share the Wonder program.
Wonder recently shared the news on its Facebook page. A formal announcement will come later this month.
This is the second time in three months that the clinic received a financial boost. In January, the clinic raised more than $25,000 through its "Without a Safety Net" fundraiser. Community support, coupled with the generosity of Wonder bread, will now enable the clinic to provide nine months of health care to its patients.
"Every day is a struggle, not only for us, but more importantly for our patients," Salvi said. "Anything we can do to help them, keep them at ease and always be that safety net is good."