Lexington Medical Center: Illuminating The Season Of Giving

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Christmas holiday season is based upon a faith tradition that teaches us it is “more blessed to give than to receive.” In South Carolina, one leading community organization continually strives to put this spirit of giving into action each and every holiday season – and beyond.

“We have a wonderful holiday program where different departments of the hospital adopt a family during the Christmas season,” says Thomas Tafel, director of community health at Lexington Medical Center, an award-winning Midlands-area hospital system.

According to Tafel, this program – which assists dozens of local families across the Midlands – is administered through the hospital’s medical social services department.

“Staff members purchase gifts for each member of an entire family that otherwise might not have a Merry Christmas,” he said. “And we also adopt elderly residents at our extended care location. Last year we delivered 65 baskets of needed items and adopted 80 local families. So, our employees are very involved in giving to their neighbors during the holidays.”

This family adoption program is just the beginning of Lexington Medical’s seasonal giving, though.

***

***

“There’s also our Auxiliary Lights program,” Tafel continued, “Every year, a Christmas tree in the hospital lobby is part of this fundraising campaign. It's called ‘Share Your Love With A Light; Help Cancer Patients Unable to Pay for Their Medical Care at Lexington Medical Center.’ Last year, we raised about $2,300 - all from our employees.”

While inflation keeps taking a bigger bite out of the bottom line for everyone in recent years, its impact has thankfully not put a damper on employee giving at Lexington Medical.

“It can be challenging, but what I've noticed over the past few years is that our numbers and what we've been able to do have remained steady and committed," Tafel said. "The hospital organizationally has given more money, and our employees have adopted more families. Our focus is on taking care of the patient and the family - and that is really demonstrated by our employees' commitment to these holiday programs.”

According to Tafel, these efforts are just one small part of Lexington Medical’s larger mission within the community. And the lights on the Christmas tree in its lobby are just the start of the hospital's broader holiday illumination.

“It really highlights our commitment as an independent, not-for-profit medical center to the people we serve," he said. "Externally, beyond our actual facility, we’re also the top sponsor of Holiday Lights On the River for the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission at Saluda Shoals Park. Plus, we sponsor the Columbia Fireflies’ Holiday Lights at Segra Park, Santa's Village at Columbiana Center, and the City of Forest Acres’ Sweet Seasons event.”

These holiday sponsorships are an extension of Lexington Medical's year-round patronage of local activities, which see the spirit of giving extended far beyond the Yuletide season.

***

RELATED | AN INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP

***

“We provide lots of grants to 27 local nonprofit organizations,” Tafel noted. “Early next year, we’ll be presenting checks totaling $1.5 million that we're giving back to local groups which are filling gaps in care and helping meet the needs of our community. We’re talking about direct services such as the Free Medical Clinic and Good Samaritan Clinic, Sister Care, Harvest Hope Food Bank, and many others. We also provide food baskets and boxes for diabetic patients that go directly to operations for those nonprofit organizations. So it's nice that it falls within the holiday season.”

Tafel says it’s important for community pillars to lead the way in giving back.

“I think it sets a wonderful example," he said. "You know, we do this because we feel like it's the right thing to do, and it's our commitment back to our community where we all live and work. As you know, our decisions are made right here. That's where all our leadership is, and we're all committed to giving back to our community. If you have an organization that is viewed as a community leader, giving back to the community provides some encouragement for other organizations to do the same. It's great when you can get buy-in from a large group of organizations to help because, as they say, ‘many hands make light work.'”

On a personal level, Tafel says giving is also important to participating hospital team members.

“Our employees give so much of their time taking care of people in healthcare that their giving is a great extension of who they are," he said. "Often, we have patients who come in - and while we may be able to treat the physical symptoms of what's going on - they eventually go back to situations in their home life that are challenging outside of our ability to provide that medical care. So, it's great for our employees to feel like they're giving back by helping make sure individuals in our community have what they need or what they wish for during the holiday season. Because that’s really what it’s all about.”

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR ...

J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.

***

WANNA SOUND OFF?

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.