Women of St Bernardine Look to Enable the Tide of Success

The Women of St. Bernardine's held their first meeting on Thursday, Sept. 18. This kickoff luncheon was held at the Rezek Centre at St. Bernardine Hospital. At about 28 members presently, the Women of St. Bernardine's is a donor group consisting of women committed to supporting the financial needs of Dignity Health St. Bernardine's Medical Center. This support will improve the medical services to patients and members throughout the community. Each woman joining the group will donate a minimum of $1,000 and will be considered a founding member. The donations are pooled into a lump sum. Each member will be invited to events that will showcase various services within the medical center that are in need of financial support. Then, each member will be able to vote on where her funds will be applied. “Giving in a lump sum is effective,” St. Bernardine Medical Center Foundation Major Gifts Officer Regina Webster. “You can get things done. We’re giving to really make change, and we want to get to those levels that are critical and make an impact.” After a brief introduction from founding members Sara Hector and Regina Webster, the event’s keynote speaker, San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales, gave an inspirational speech. Supervisor Gonzales thanked Hector for the invitation, and shared inspiration with the Women of St. Bernadine’s through anecdotes, advice, and shared personal experiences. “You must begin by marching the flag of professionalism. Professionalism is, you look at each other as beautiful women intelligent women, gifted women, blessed women,” Gonzales said. “It is imperative that creativity be a requirement... and also, be organized. Be true to your cause through organization,” she continued. “Your job as a crusader involves all of these elements and more. Your job as a crusader for a better quality of life for those in need is an everlasting commitment to succeed and accomplish your goals in the hyper-competitive fundraising arena,” Gonzales said. Gonzales encouraged the women to draw upon the past and take lessons learned from the people who paved the way for success and forward-thinking, and apply it to every day work. “The past values that were taught to us by our parents must be today present in the values that sustain you up to this moment, because they are what make you you, and they are true values to be embraced and admired,” said Gonzales. “Today you women of St. Bernardine are launching a…valiant ship of effort and kindness upon the ocean of humanity. Know your value, know your worth, know your intent is recognized, and you do all of this because you care… for others and you care about the future. Doing this preserves the efforts of those who sacrificed for us. It preserves their beliefs, it preserves and identifies their sacrifices as still alive today and it does this by insuring the safety of their values in society today. You are that insurance.” Gonzales went on, “Ladies… you are God’s work in action. Every step, every example, every action, every kindness, every thought, every penny that you raise is God’s work. Women of St. Bernardine is one of the tools by which we begin to work at the change that is needed.” United goals, forward thinking and strong, leadership-minded individuals are what enables change, Gonzales told the women. As her comments came to an ending point, Gonzales presented a certificate of recognition accepted by Sara Hector of the Visiting Angels on behalf of the founding members, who include community advocates, leaders and businesswomen such as Regina Webster of the St. Bernardine Medical Center Foundation, Margie Miller of the City News Group, Maribel Brown of Minuteman Press, and Kimberly Foglio-Walden of Budget Transmissions II and a longtime St. Bernardine Medical Center volunteer, who all work to better their communities through organizations such as this. Immediately after, the Women of St. Bernardine's reciprocated with an award of recognition they presented to Supervisor Gonzales. "Today we recognize the first step in your journey to improve the quality of life for those in need within our communities," Supervisor Gonzales said as she ended her speech.