AEGON Transamerica Foundation makes $75,000 donation to
St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation for Child Protection Center
April 21, 2009
St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation has received a $75,000 donation from the AEGON Transamerica Foundation for St. Luke’s Child Protection Center.
The donation will be used to fund one of the center’s Interview Observation Rooms, which are used to help gather information to determine if child abuse has occurred.
“We are very pleased to help support the important work of the St. Luke’s Child Protection Center,” said AEGON Transamerica Foundation Board Chair Dave Blankenship. “It’s a sad fact that thousands of Iowa children are abused each year. This facility is the first step in their healing process.”
The center, which serves children and families in 50 Iowa counties, helps determine if child abuse has occurred, then develops a plan to protect the child and direct families into counseling. Staffers work with law enforcement officials and employees from the Department of Human Services to make their recommendations.
Ten months after the flood, Child Protection Center Director Sue Tesdahl says that the number of referrals to the Center, which numbered 1,162 in 2008, have remained steady. But in the wake of the flood, Tesdahl says those numbers are soon expected to increase.
“Families are living with other families in small, confined spaces,” said Tesdahl. “Tensions are running high among adults and children often pay the price. That’s why the AEGON Transamerica Foundation donation is especially meaningful. It couldn’t come at a more significant time.”
St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation recently announced that the center surpassed a fund raising goal of $4.2 million – $2.2 million for a new building and $2 million to establish an endowment. The hope is to build an endowment of $10 million to defray operating costs. St. Luke’s operates the center at a loss of $300,000 to $500,000 per year.
“We are so grateful to the AEGON Transamerica Foundation for their ongoing support of healthcare in this community,” said St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation President Shannon Duval. “We are humbled by their generosity and the generosity of our donors. But unfortunately, there’s still more work to be done.”
About the AEGON Transamerica Foundation:
Established in 2004, the AEGON Transamerica Foundation supports non-profit organizations that contribute to the well being of the communities in which we operate in the areas of arts and culture, civic and community, health and human services and education.
MEDIA CONTACT: Sarah Corizzo, St. Luke’s Hospital, 319/369-8372 or 319/560-2385.
