– Nearly $375,000 raised at The San Diego Zoo Safari Park event –
ESCONDIDO, Calif. (September 23, 2021) – Neighborhood Healthcare, a regional Federally Qualified Health Center providing a wide range of medical, dental, and behavioral health services, broke all records at Saturday’s fundraising gala by raising nearly $375,000 at The San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
The funds will expand the organization’s services, including the upcoming launch of a school bus-size mobile healthcare unit that will service five high schools in the Escondido Union High School District to increase access to services and address health equity.
“We’re grateful for the continued support we received from so many organizations and generous individuals,” said Rakesh Patel, MD, CEO of Neighborhood Healthcare. “This event exceeded all expectations and demonstrated how communities could rally around each other in these unprecedented times. Now more than ever, our mission to provide quality, comprehensive, compassionate care to everyone regardless of circumstance is greatly needed.”
The “Back to the 80’s Gala” included music, silent and live auctions, and touching messages from those that Neighborhood Healthcare has helped. The nonprofit also honored one of its long-standing supporters, Maxine Kreitzer, with its annual Servant Leader Award, for her more than two decades of support that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of Neighborhood Healthcare.
In addition to the mobile healthcare unit, the funds raised from the gala will expand other Neighborhood Healthcare’s services throughout Riverside and San Diego Counties. These include behavioral health, dental care, women’s health, podiatry, pharmacy, vision, prenatal, and other services in addition to primary care. The organization also offers patients assistance to enroll in Medi-Cal, Covered California, CalFresh food assistance, and social services.
“This event went a long way in helping us expand our range of programs and resources that address many of the barriers our patients face on their road to health and happiness,” said Tina Pope, Director of Philanthropy and Patient Experience for Neighborhood Healthcare. “The support we received this past weekend from so many individuals and organizations will help us continue to bring positive change to our communities; change you can see firsthand in the smiles of the patients we serve.”
About Neighborhood Healthcare
Neighborhood Healthcare provides quality, compassionate, whole-person care to everyone, regardless of their circumstance, throughout San Diego and Riverside Counties. We go above and beyond in serving those in need with high integrity, professionalism, and in the spirit of collaboration, just as we did when founded more than 50 years ago. In doing so, we dedicate ourselves to improving community health so everyone can live happy and healthy lives.