About The Summer Auction
Benefiting the Hope Center at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center
The Summer Auction is
an annual fundraiser to support the diverse services
provided by Hope Center. Each year, more than 300 people
participate in the live and silent auctions to bid for
luxury items, trips, antiques, and pieces by nationally
known artists. Now in its sixth year, the auction is the
primary fundraising event for the Center. Thanks to the
support of donors, sponsors, and guests, the auction has
raised nearly $340,000 in the past five years.
Hope Center, founded
in 1996, is based at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in
office space donated by the hospital. Under the direction
of medical psychologist Jeannie Gillian, Ph.D., the Center
provides a safe, non-stigmatizing environment in which to
offer supportive services for individuals affected by
HIV-AIDS. It is the region’s only hospital-based
comprehensive resource for East Tennesseans living with the
daily challenges of HIV infection. All services of Hope
Center are provided at no charge to patients and their
families.
HIV (Human
Immunodeficiency Virus) affects millions of people every
year. Though now a household name, it is still one of the
most deadly diseases in existence. The Southeast has the
fastest rate of new HIV infections in the United States. In
our local 16-county region more than 2,500 people live with
HIV-AIDS. The CDC reports that many others are unaware they
have the virus because they have not yet been tested.
Although Covenant
Health and Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center generously
support the Center by covering overhead expenses, all
patient and community services are provided through
fundraising activities. All money raised by the 2008 Summer
Auction will support the Hope Center and will stay in the
East Tennessee area to provide direct patient care services
as well as prevention education to at-risk populations,
healthcare professionals, and local school
systems.
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Hope Center
at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is a non-profit,
hospital-based organization that was established in 1996 to
address the unmet needs of individuals affected by HIV-AIDS in
the Knoxville community. The Center depends entirely on gifts
and donations from the community to provide supportive services
at no charge to patients, their family, or caregivers. To
date, more than 1400 adults and children have benefited from
these services. Among this group, 329 individuals have died.
The
Hope Center’s goal is to sustain empathy, dignity, quality of
life, and hope in a nonjudgmental environment. Identifying
individual needs, promoting quality of life and listening to
expressions of grief, fears or concerns are important aspects of
the Hope Model approach to care. The Hope Center's unique
location accommodates immediate physician and community
referrals for inpatients, outpatients, their caregivers and
families. Director and medical psychologist Jeannie Gillian,
Ph.D., who specializes in HIV issues and education, provides
direct patient care and advocacy. Consultation requests come
from physicians, patients, hospital staff, other community
hospitals, family members, and agencies.
Thanks to your generosity, Hope Center is able to:
·
sustain confidence and hope among
newly diagnosed individuals as they learn to live with a
life-altering illness
·
offer individualized,
patient-focused care and advocacy at no charge to patients and
families affected by HIV-AIDS
·
address individual psychosocial
needs, quality of life, and end-stage care in a non-prejudicial
setting
·
provide consultations with Dr.
Jeannie Gillian, a medical psychologist with a specialty in HIV
care
·
 make available HIV educational workshops taught from the human
perspective for patients and anyone in the community wanting to
enhance their awareness, empathy, and knowledge. The focus of
the workshop is on HIV-AIDS care from the human perspective
rather than a "disease" perspective. One objective is to help
participants understand the psychosocial challenges and
existential aspects of living with an incurable illness. We
gratefully acknowledge the invaluable contribution to the
workshop made by the Hope Teachers. Please contact us at 541-3767 if you would
like to attend.
·
 provide ©Oliver & Company
Caregiving Team, which
is a unique team of trained volunteers that provide non-medical
support for patients with special needs, or they may assist
patients in the absence of, or in addition to, the primary
caregiver. Depending on the patient needs, volunteers may be
involved at the onset of illness or at any stage, including
family bereavement. All patient-focused support is arranged
through Hope Center in collaboration with the patient,
physician, volunteer, and caregivers.
·
present Hope for
the Holidays for our Hope Members and
 their
families. During the first Hope for the Holidays
gathering in 1995, a small group met to light candles in memory
of lost friends and to share stories about their lives. Years
later, we still gather around the hope tree with candles in hand
remembering those we hold close to our hearts. This year, as we
plan our 13th annual celebration, we honor the many
caring supporters who brighten the holiday season much beyond
our early days of lighting candles. We are grateful for the
dozens of volunteers who provide "Hope Buckets" for our members,
"Angel Tree Gifts" for their children, a "Free Holiday Shopping
Store," children's activities, a warm meal, live music, and
pictures with Santa Claus. Our hope is that guests will be
able, for at least one day, to leave their troubles outside and
enjoy the holiday celebration.
·
offer "Hope Buckets"
for our patients at our Hope for the Holidays celebration.
Chucky Moyers was the
 inspiration for this project. After he
had attended his last Hope Center Holiday party in 1999, he felt
a bit overwhelmed
by the tremendous outpouring of gifts just for children. When
his sister, Carol-Ann McMillan, discussed the idea of a Hope
Bucket for adults, he thought it was great! After his death in
2000, Carol-Ann initiated the Hope Bucket project with
the intention of, in her words, "giving the patients a spark,
sometimes their only spark for the holidays." Buckets are filled
with everyday items that can be used throughout the year.
Thanks to the donors' continued support of this project, more
than 150 Hope Buckets are distributed at the Hope for the
Holidays celebration every year.
"Hope is the Belief in Possibilities"
For additional information or to make a referral to Hope Center please
Contact Us.
For additional information on becoming an Auction Sponsor,
click here.
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