Summer 2023 Newsletter
Volunteers In Medicine Participates in San Diego Gives 2023
San Diego Gives is a year-round program that promotes nonprofit sustainability and donor education. In 2023, efforts culminate in an online, region-wide Day of Giving September 7, followed by a Day of Volunteer Service on September 8.
You can find our page & donate here
More than 300 local nonprofits are participating. Now in its third year, the program shines a light on local, pressing needs and the impactful responses of our nonprofit community via robust communications, an interactive website, volunteer opportunities, and an online crowdfunding campaign.
All funds raised remain in San Diego to bolster our region. Last year, $1,008,674 was raised for 327 nonprofits and thousands of donors were engaged, with many making firsttime gifts. San Diego Gives benefits participating nonprofits by:
• Providing funding and volunteer support.
• Obtaining media attention from local news outlets and podcasts covering the campaign.
• Attracting new donors and volunteers in cost-effective ways.
• Offering ways to meet, learn, and share knowledge with other organizations.
• Providing individual mentoring and 35+ experiential personal and professional development opportunities through San Diego Gives University.
• Utilizing a user-friendly giving and donor acknowledgement platform, freeing up valuable time.
To participate, a nonprofit must meet the following criteria:
• Be a 501(c)(3) public charity, recognized by the IRS as a qualified recipient of tax-deductible gives or have a fiscal sponsor that meets these requirements.
• Funds raised must remain in San Diego County.
• Demonstrate high quality leadership, fiscal and program management, and demand for services.
Another annual Ice Cream Social in the books!
Our friends at UM Chapel of the Valley hosted an ice cream social on August 27th - it was a great time, with plenty of fun and some frozen treats!
VIM welcomes two new board members
The Volunteers In Medicine SD Board is excited to welcome two new members - Stephen Tokarz & Dr. Dustin Potash.
Stephen is a healthcare technology and consulting entrepreneur, and Dustin has helped lead a national nonprofit and is a United States Army Combat Veteran with over 10 years of experience managing programs for diverse groups.
You can read their full bios on our team page
Welcome Stephen & Dustin - we're thrilled to have you on the team!
And David makes five!
All of us here at VIM San Diego want to offer our congratulations to David Zeng, who will be attending medical school UC San Diego School of Medicine as of this Fall. David volunteered with us during some very tough times in COVID when he could not return to college. He is returning to attend UCSD med school after a stretch at Johns Hopkin's in Baltimore. Here's what he had to say:
Hi Maureen,
So, so happy and blessed to say that I will be going back home both this summer and the next 4 years--I will be matriculating in the UC San Diego School of Medicine. I couldn't have gotten here without so many gracious and generous mentors like you who have moved and motivated me so much over the years, since the Covid pandemic.
I wrote a lot about my time in the free clinic, especially with Dr. Jassmann and Dr. Liang, and it contributed profoundly to my personal story and statement.
As for plans this summer--I will be back in SD on 6/18 (as soon as my current employment ends at Johns Hopkins Hospital). Would love to volunteer a bit this upcoming summer before I start school in September!
Please let me know when you would like to meet or catch up with me. Maybe we could even grab lunch to gether sometime.
Once again, thank you so, so much for all your kindness and humility in giving so much to me and helping me grow as an aspiring physician.
Always grateful,
David Zeng
For anyone who's keeping track this is our 5th former volunteer this year to be accepted to medical school! It always sparks joy to see our former volunteers take the next step on their path, and it really highlights one of the great benefits of volunteering - practical experience. We are so grateful for all our volunteers and everything they bring to our organization!
A visit from Grossmont Health District
We had a great time at the clinic in June, when we had a visit from the Grossmont Healthcare District team. VIM was one of 4 non profits (out of the 30 that they give grant funds) selected to be part of their team building exercise. Abbi and Maureen explained the difference their funding makes in our ability to care for VIM patients, and the team asked some great questions and got to meet Agnes!
