Honduras Update
Ruby’s Story
Ruby was born near La Ceiba in 1986. While very poor, she was able to stay in school and complete her High School education in the public school in La Ceiba. When she was around 14 years old, she visited a new clinic called Salud Total as a patient. She recalls standing at the front of the building thinking how great it would be to be able to work somewhere like that, giving care to those in need. When she was 18 years old she met Ivan and they were later married. Ruby found work in various jobs, but the long hours prevented her from seeing her husband, and the pay was negligible. She finally decided to quit work and focus on her marriage, surviving on her husband’s $150 per month income. It was during this time that Ruby returned to Salud Total, this time as a volunteer. As she worked she learned how a clinic runs and the needs of the clinic. After a couple years of volunteer work she saw a flyer advertising a Nurse’s Aide degree. She kept the flyer and returned to Salud Total with a new idea for how we could solve our need for nursing support. Through a generous donation her education was paid for and she joined the staff at the clinic in 2007, just after having her first child, Victor. She is also now armed with a degree and is in a full time job that helps support her family while working reasonable hours that allow her to be at home with her husband and their new child. As we sat in her clean and well kept 11 by 18 foot home she talked of building a better life while being thankful for all the blessings she has received. She and Ivan have saved their money and added water and electricity to their home and are planning to build on a second room. By investing in people’s futures we generate ongoing value for generations to come. It only cost about $300 for Ruby to go to school, but she will now have a lifetime skill to use. Her hard work and commitment to helping others are inspirations and we are all proud to of her accomplishments.
Changing lives…in more ways than one
As a charity we have an obligation to not only provide care for a day, but to invest the resources given us in a way that produces returns for many years to come. With such great need in so much of the world, it is tempting to chase the latest disaster, or to treat the first and most dramatic problem we see. While this is often required, there are times in which careful investment in an area can make greater changes reaching more people for generations. We are very cognizant of this, and work very hard to maximize our impact with our limited resources. Ruby Zorto is one great example of the many ways we work to be entrepreneurial in our approach. We all want to change lives today, but we also want to leave a legacy that changes lives for generations to come.
2007…The Year in Review
Thanks to your continued support and hard work Total Health has provided more service than ever before. Last year we had 11,000 patient visits at Salud Total. We are managing diseases that previously went untreated and we are seeing dramatic improvements in the health of those we serve. Through consistent and reliable health, dental, and eye care entire families are achieving a better life for themselves and for future generations. It is your hard work and support that makes this possible.
Nicaragua Update
Plans to provide medical care in Nicaragua are also continuing to progress. Our first medical brigade to the country took place in August 2007, and our second was in February 2008. We hope to have 3 more trips in 2008 and are actively looking for medical personnel who can join us in Nicaragua this year. Your help is critical in getting this project off the ground. We need two more teams, each traveling in a different part of the year. If you would like to participate in a brigade please contact us at admin@totalhealth.org or 614-364-4123 as soon as possible so we can start planning your trip. These early trips will help shape all our work for years to come. Please consider helping us at this critical time.
2007 Financial Report
Thanks to all of you who have donated your time, expertise, and money to Total Health. Your efforts are making a difference in the lives of thousands of people. Below is a summary of our 2007 fiscal year. Using the resources below close to 10,000 people received free medical care at Salud Total including doctor visits, medicine, low cost dental care, and basic eye care.
In this report you will find two major categories: income and expenses. Under income we have three categories: general funds, special funds, and materials. Under expenses we have three categories: US administration, team expenses, and Honduran expenses. The reason we break them down this way is that currently we obtain funding for these different parts from different places. The funding for US administration comes from moneys donated specifically for that purpose, and not from our general fund or special projects funds. The funding for the travel costs of our teams comes from the teams themselves. Each team must raise enough support to cover the cost of their trip so that no donation to the general fund or special funds is ever used for team costs. Finally, funding for the Honduras operating costs comes from donations to our general fund or to special projects we are doing in Honduras. Over 95% of general donations are used directly with Central America. We appreciate your support and want to be excellent stewards of your donation.
Jan - Dec 07
Income
4100 · Contributions - Cash 146,995.34
4200 · Contributions - Medications 20,264.71
4900 · Class (Over)/Under 0.00
Total Income 167,260.05
Expense
HONDURAS ADMINISTRATION
Other - Honduras 207.51
Total HONDURAS ADMINISTRATION 207.51
HONDURAS CLINIC OPERATIONS
Administrator Funding 13,350.00
Clinic Operating Expenses 2,160.00
Contibutions to Salud Total 2,000.00
Doctor Funding 21,200.00
Equipment - HONDURAS 878.91
Medication - HONDURAS 27,368.03
Total HONDURAS CLINIC OPERATIONS 66,956.94
TRAVEL
Air & Bus Travel 37,437.84
Host Family Costs 28,805.00
Travel insurance 923.55
Total TRAVEL 67,166.39
U.S. ADMINISTRATION
Administrator Expense 6,300.00
(Administrator Expense is not from General Fund)
Bank Charge 515.77
Insurance 880.00
Legal & Professional Service 250.00
Mail Box 28.00
Office Supplies - US 37.96
Other - US 57.25
Postage 59.40
Registration Fees 200.00
Software 228.00
Telephone 67.95
Website 1,191.88
Total U.S. ADMINISTRATION 9,816.21
Total Expense 144,147.05
Net Income 23,113.00
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at any time at:
Total Health
PO Box 424
Lewis Center, OH 43035
admin@totalhealth.org
www.totalhealth.org
(614) 364-4123
HOW YOU CAN HELP
There are many people who have teamed with us to make the dream of quality, reliable, and consistent medical care in La Ceiba a reality. Each has contributed in their own way. If you would like to join with us please continue reading for a few ways you can help:
1. ANYTIME DONATIONS - Make checks payable to “Total Health” and mail to:
Total Health, P.O. Box 424, Lewis Center, OH 43035
If your employer has a benefit that will match donations made to charities please take advantage of it. You can check with your personnel office to find if your company offers a charity program.
Total Health welcomes donations designated for specific projects or purposes. We will make every effort to ensure that donations with these designations are used for the purposes expressed; however we reserve the right to use any donation for any purpose depending on the needs of the clinic. If a specified project is fully funded, or is no longer in effect, the funds will be used in the area of greatest need in the clinic. Donations that are made without a specific project or purpose designated will be use in the area of greatest need at the clinic.
2. MONTHLY PLEDGE - Consider pledging a small monthly donation to Total Health. This can be any size donation (for example $10, $25, or $50). These regular contributions allow us to maintain a consistent presence in La Ceiba which is the most powerful tool we can use to help change lives there. Please include a note with your first check indicating the amount that will be sent each month.
3. ADOPT-A-MONTH PROGRAMS - Two of these programs are described below:
A. Money for Medication - With a full-time physician we are able to help more patients but we can’t continue to supply the pharmacy using our current means. We estimate a need of $1,500 per month to treat all of our patients (about 1000 patients each month). You can help by adopting a month of the year and raising support for the purchase of medications needed during that month. This need is urgent as we must project upcoming medication requirements and place our orders soon!
B. Medical Teams for Trips- Many of you have traveled to La Ceiba and know the success of our program relies heavily on our monthly medical teams. The needs are great and can’t be met by one doctor alone! Teams are comprised of people with a wide range of medical skills. You can help by adopting a month of the year and putting together a medical team to serve during that month. Do you have friends or colleagues who have said “I would love to do something like that some day.”? Without your help we cannot continue to do the work we have started. If you are interested in making sure a team of medical personnel travels during a certain month, please contact us ASAP so we can start working with you.
4. SPECIAL NEEDS - The majority of our current resources support recurring needs, i.e. medicine. Like most organizations Total Health has expenses that are vital to our continued growth and improvement but are not covered in our regular operating budget. Examples are:
A. Laboratory Equipment: Our current laboratory is very limited. We can only do urine tests for basic problems and to determine pregnancy. To use medicines safely and effectively we need to expand our capabilities. The tests needed are complete blood count, blood chemistries (liver, kidney, and electrolytes), Hemoglobin A1C, Malaria rapid test kits, and HIV rapid test kits. You can help by purchasing or donating any of this equipment or any of the supplies.
5. SERVING - If you are interested in working at Salud Total, you can contact us by web, email, phone, or mail as listed below.
NEED INFORMATION?
If you would like more information about Total Health:
See our website at: www.totalhealth.org (Updated on a regular basis.)
Email us at admin@totalhealth.org
Phone us at 614-364-4123
Mail us at:
Total Health
P.O. Box 424
Lewis Center, OH 43035
You can also contact our administrators in the US or Honduras at:
US Administrator:
Thomas Moore
Phone: 614-364-4123
Email: admin@totalhealth.org
Honduras Administrator:
Merphran Irias
Phone: 614-364-4126 (this US phone number will ring him in Honduras)
Email: merphran@totalhealth.org
Thanks to all of you who have worked so hard to make this organization come to life. Your efforts will change thousands of lives for people who have no way to help themselves. Thanks also to those of you who are considering joining us on this great adventure.
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