At most full-time jobs, one is going to be spending eight hours a day sharing the same bit of carpet with a group of people who are tantamount to strangers. With luck, those strangers will become like a second family, one willing to lend a hand when times are tough.

Cleveland Clinic affiliate Fairview Hospital has taken that notion to the next level with the Employee Care Fund, a staff-funded repository of donations established to help hospital workers going through financial hardships. The fund was founded in 2005 at Fairview, and is now active throughout the Cleveland Clinic system, says Fairview president Jan Murphy.

On October 24, Fairview raised almost $1,500 toward the fund during a cupcake bakeoff. The figure was matched by the facility's corporate sponsors to bring the total to $3,000. The funds will be used to assist Cleveland Clinic employees enduring all matter of money problems, be it facing eviction or needing help to pay for such basic items as food and clothing.

"We had one employee whose home burned down," says Murphy. "We are one big family and want to take care of each other." 

Fairview's Employee Care Fund raised $25,500 in 2011. Since its inception, the fund has garnered over $220,000 for 342 hospital employees, Murphy reports.

Donations are given to the Community West Foundation. The Cleveland-based grantmaking organization is then charged with disbursing the funds. Employees in need must fill out an application to qualify. Those who are ineligible or who have dipped into the fund multiple times may receive financial planning assistance from the Clinic's human resources department.

"We just want to get our people help," Murphy says. "We're not looking to make them feel bad or guilty."

Money is just one option for struggling Fairview families. The hospital also runs "Mom's Cellar," a constantly replenished storehouse of diapers, baby formula, food and supplies that employees can access.

Ultimately, both the care fund and Mom's Cellar run on the generosity of the Cleveland Clinic "family," says Murphy.

"We plan to keep it going," says the hospital president. "There's always going to be a need."

SOURCE: Jan Murphy
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth