In most any sport, performance indicators can be gathered from statistics. The NFL Combine tests each athlete in the 40-yard dash, baseball and softball players are timed on how fast they can reach first base, and track athletes are measured against other each in tryouts. We believe an athlete’s performance in these areas tells us how they will perform in competition and, ultimately, help the team win.
They call this statistical rundown of a player “the tale of the tape” – how a player measures up to others according to their stats. Like sports, many fields use statistics to indicate the health or overall success of an organization.
But statistics aren’t always the full story. Other factors play into a team or organization’s success. Statistics are just one part of the story.
Just like sports, Central Kentucky Community Foundation’s tale of the tape goes beyond statistics. While our data reports a successful year for our foundation, we know the story is more than numbers, a different kind of tale, if you will. Our statistics tell the story of our foundation’s success because of a generous and caring community.
It’s the stories of organizations that have benefited from donors’ generosity. While the statistics tell you 101 grant recipients received $737, 282 in grants, it doesn’t tell you how just one of those grants from Heels Together served nearly provided 486 women clinical care and support through the Community Health Clinic’s Women’s Health Initiative. It doesn’t tell you how this one grant saved a woman’s life.
“I am not sure where I would be today if it wasn’t for the Community Health Clinic and Heels Together,” said Theresa Ledford, who received care for congestive heart failure.
To diagnose what pacemaker Theresa needed, she had to wear a life vest, a wearable heart monitor that shocks the heart back into rhythm if a patient has a heart attack or fatal rhythm, for three months at $4,000 per month. By working with the company to negotiate a reduced price and using the Heels Together grant, the Community Health Clinic was able to get Theresa the care she needed to survive.
“Words cannot describe how thankful I am,” she said. “After discharge, I’ve continued to receive my care from the clinic. I’ve been working hard toward cardiac rehabilitation. I exercise regularly and watch my heart rate to rebuild my endurance. I am extremely proud to say my heart function has improved from 18% to 45%, and I was able to have the vest removed without having to have a pacemaker.”
It’s the stories of how scholarships funded through our donors have enhanced the lives of students in our community. While our statistics say that 94 students were awarded 113 scholarships worth $286,000, what those numbers don’t tell you is the stories behind these students and how thankful they were to receive the opportunity to continue their education.
“This scholarship will help me achieve my future goals in becoming a bio-mechanical engineer to design and build robotic prosthetics for people without limbs,” said Elizabethtown Community and Technical College student Chance Schenck, recipient of the Llewellyn Memorial Scholarship. “I was born with my right hand underdeveloped, so I understand the challenges that people face. My goal is to do everything I can to help provide independence and the dignity that comes with it for people in this situation.”
It’s the stories of our donors’ generosity and how their gifts enhance the community and, oftentimes, celebrates the life of a loved one. While our statistics say the foundation holds 136 funds, those numbers don’t tell you how those funds benefit our community.
The Tai Sy Le Memorial Fund, created by Tai’s parents, supports annual service projects for St. James Catholic School students. Its first service project was completed in May by Tai’s classmates.
“We felt with gifts in Tai’s memory, that something toward community service just felt right,” said Dr. Tao Le, Tai’s father. “We’ve been really fortunate and appreciate the help developing a fund to support future service projects that would allow students at St. James to learn about service and how that ties into the community.”
It’s these stories and countless others that comprise our tale of the tape. And these stories would not be possible without our generous donors. Thank you for helping write these stories and here’s to many more to come in 2020!
These stories tell how our community wins through the generosity of others. Thank goodness it doesn’t matter how fast we run.
When you want your life to make a difference FOREVER……you need a FOREVER partner.
Central Kentucky Community Foundation has a long history of serving this community through 52 years as North Central Education Foundation.
Today, we offer you even more options to help your dreams make a difference…FOREVER.