Intermountain has contributed $25,000 to the Cherish Families organization to benefit members of the underserved communities that Cherish Families supports by helping them bridge societal gaps and build new connections.
Cherish Families is committed to helping individuals who have experienced difficulties associated with a plural marriage background to move forward. The nonprofit organization provides food, clothing, shelter, and legal help, but the greatest need is mental health services.
“We’re so grateful for this gift,” says Shirlee Draper, director of operations for Cherish Families. “These funds will help us fill in gaps for mental health services we can’t fund any other way.”
The guiding philosophy of Cherish Families is to increase cultural competence by strengthening capacities and ensuring self-determination of members.
“We offer a variety of services that can help people reach stability and independence,” Shirlee says. “Our mission is to connect individuals and families, primarily those from plural marriage cultures, with tools and resources for generational success.”
The charity was founded and is largely staffed by people from plural marriage backgrounds. With a deep understanding of the fears and barriers people from this background can experience, the team is compassionate, empathetic, and uniquely qualified to serve.
“Living the healthiest life possible requires more than access to high-quality healthcare,” says Paul Krakovitz, MD, Desert Region president. “We’ve found that supporting those in need has a positive impact on community health. We want to be part of helping those who have struggled with adverse circumstances to regain strength and the ability to succeed.”
These contributions are part of an Intermountain-led effort aimed to improve community health by addressing the social determinants of health, which are the non-medical factors that play a role in overall health of a community.
These social determinants include reliable transportation, food security, housing, and education among others that can all affect overall health.
In addition to the $25,000 gift to Cherish Families, Intermountain donated $100,000 to help fund the Washington County Mental Health Receiving Center, $25,500 for the Doctors Volunteer Clinic, and $20,000 to Utah Tech University for diversity in healthcare scholarships.