Insights

Porter Hills Foundation Launches Employee Support Services Fund November 1 to Help Team Members Like Erica Follow Her Dreams

At UMRC & Porter Hills, we value each of our team members for the important and inspiring difference they make each day in the life of an older adult.  Starting November 1, the Porter Hills Foundation is launching its Employee Support Services Fund, based on programs started by the UMRC Foundation in 2014 – to elevate and encourage our team members in the vital role they play in caring for older adults like family.  This includes helping team members reach their educational and career goals through our competitive Staff Scholarship program.

This program has literally been life-changing for team members like Erica Pledger, LPN who provides care for long-term skilled nursing residents at UMRC’s Kresge Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center.  Erica lives in Albion and is the mother of two boys, ages 7 and 11.  In addition to working full-time at Kresge Center, Erica is also a per diem nurse at another nursing home and attends Baker College full-time to complete her BSN degree.

Since she was a little girl, Erica has wanted to be a nurse and follow in the footsteps of several of her family members, including one aunt who was the Director of Nursing at the Michigan State Prison in Jackson.  The UMRC Foundation Staff Scholarship program has made possible her dreams of becoming a nurse.

“I’ve always wanted to help people.  The Staff Scholarship program has greatly impacted my ability to attend school and to pay for classes without worrying about paying my bills.  It has been a four-year journey of working toward my Bachelor’s degree in nursing, which I am on schedule to complete in December 2020.  I am so thankful that the Staff Scholarship program is making my dream come true.”

– Erica Pledger, LPN

November 1 is the deadline for Porter Hills team members to apply for scholarships for the spring semester.  Already, we have seen a great deal of interest among Porter Hills team members.

To learn how you can help Porter Hills team members, like Erica, bring their career goals to life, and provide the best possible care for the older adults we serve, contact the Porter Hills Foundation at 616.577.2297.  Or to make a secure online donation, visit https://www.porterhills.org/foundation/donate/.  Remember, your gift stays local as you intend.