Starr Gold
‘I’m very blessed and there’s such a need’
Read on to learn why Starr Gold supports the Blessing Foundation.
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Starr Gold has walked the cancer journey with her mother, sister and other close family members
But that’s just part of the reason she gives to the Blessing Foundation
Starr Gold grew up on a farm in El Dara – a tiny town in Pike County. She was the oldest of six children and though the family was “poor, poor, poor,” she says her father instilled in her at a young age the power of giving to others.
“My father always gave,” Starr says. “Never once did he say, ‘They never paid me back.’”
Starr, now 86, has endured hardships and heartbreak in her life. But she focuses on the positive and thanks God for her blessings. She does whatever she can to bring joy to others and helps people she doesn’t even know.
“I’m very blessed and I want to help,” she says.
The Blessing Foundation is Starr’s charity of choice.
Starr donates to her church and other organizations, but gifts to the Blessing Foundation have become routine. When someone she knows dies, she offers a memorial contribution to the Foundation in the person’s name.
“I don’t give flowers for the funeral. They don’t last, and they don’t help,” she says.
Starr’s memorial gifts to the Foundation often are targeted to the Cancer Center at Blessing Hospital. Multiple members of her family, including her mother and sister, have walked the cancer journey, and she battled an autoimmune disease that required treatment at the Cancer Center.
She understands what patients and families endure during a health crisis, and that financial concerns should be the least of their worries. That’s why the Blessing Foundation is so dear to her.
“I wish I could help more people. There’s such a need here in our community,” Starr says. “The Foundation knows best who to help and I feel good giving to them.”
The Blessing Foundation distributes grants, scholarships and financial assistance to support patients and families on their health care journeys – from help with rent, utilities and transportation to medical equipment and life-saving medication.
100% of donor gifts go directly to those in need.
Starr has a busy life. A longtime widow, she has worked as a home care aide for 11 years and drives to clients’ homes in a multi-county region. She has a big family – she raised six children and three nieces/nephews – and tries to keep up with her grandchildren’s activities and interests. She also helps care for an ill daughter.
She needs a calendar to keep track of everything.
But Starr doesn’t need a calendar to remind her to be generous – it’s just part of who she is.
She’s given to the Blessing Foundation regularly since June 2006. While there are many ways to give, she chooses memorial gifts because not only do they help patients and families in need, but they serve as a tribute to people she cared about.
Like her father, Starr gives with no expectation of anything in return. Her reward is knowing that her contributions are helping others through difficult times.
Starr encourages others to give to the Blessing Foundation.
“No matter how much it is, it will help,” she says.
What is the Blessing Foundation?
Since 1983, the Blessing Foundation has been giving back to the community that has given so much to all of us. The charitable foundation distribute grants, scholarships and financial assistance to individuals and families to help them on their healthcare journeys.
For more information about the Blessing Foundation or to discuss a donation or gift, call (217) 223-8400, ext. 4800, or email us at BlessingFoundation@blessinghealth.org
