Why I Give: Marianne Harms
Before getting married, John and Marianne Harms visited CalvertHealth, then Calvert Memorial Hospital, as John needed an MRI. This imaging service was provided in a mobile radiology center located in the parking lot of the hospital. “This was my beginning of watching our hospital become CalvertHealth as it is today” said Marianne. “As John’s health required more attention, we became frequent flyers at the hospital and got to know the doctors and nurses. Times like these naturally create an emotional connection with your providers.”
“When first asked to make a major contribution to the hospital, we felt fortunate to be able to respond with a ‘yes’. The need for a healing space was identified and was a space which I felt was also much-needed as I had spent so much time at the hospital with my husband. This need led to the Harms Healing Garden and has become a beautifully landscaped space with a waterfall and benches which reflect both my and John’s love of the outdoors. Before we had the opportunity to bring the healing garden to life, the view from the Emergency Department waiting area was bleak. It is now a tranquil space where guests can wait while loved ones receive care in the hospital and where staff members who work so hard in the ED or any area of our hospital can take a peaceful break.”
“I am so moved when people approach me with their words of thanks for my gifts to the medical center. I often receive thanks for my support of the Sheldon E. Goldberg Center for Breast Care which is a place for which I hold great passion. I know my gifts are making a difference because people who are impacted by my gifts thank me, sometimes at the strangest times, but always is a moving and reassuring sentiment that I am making a positive difference.”
“Just yesterday as I was shopping in the produce section of a local market, a woman from my church who I hadn’t seen in a while approached me and shared with me that she had lost her mom in January and she was so greatly struggling with this loss. She then said ‘I just want to thank you for all you have done for the hospital’. It is times like these – where you encounter people who have been to the hospital and experienced the care we offer – that give me such a profound sense of pride to be a major supporter of CalvertHealth. The hospital is a melting pot of our county; it is an important place. I am glad there was a time when I was first invited to make a gift to the CalvertHealth Foundation – years later I continue to support and I am dedicated to inviting others to join me in this noble mission that yields so much pride and joy.”
“Generous people make anonymous gifts, but my viewpoint especially as a woman – I want people to know of my giving to the hospital, especially as a woman. When others see that I give of our hard-earned money, it gives me a chance to challenge others to do the same – it sends the message ‘I did it, I am giving significant donations because I believe in the hospital; won’t you join me and consider doing the same?”
Marianne shares that there are so many different ways for people to donate to the hospital. She holds such a high regard and appreciation for the volunteers of the hospital and takes every opportunity to share her praise for the many hours they donated. “When you translate the hours volunteered into a value, it is amazing. Time is something that we have in a limited quantity and we each have to choose wisely on how we spend it. Our volunteers are our unsung heroes – from the golf cart drivers to the greeters who help our loved ones from the wheelchair to the car, there are hundreds of people who give so graciously of their time and contribute to the foundation of all the good that happens here. They makes the experience feel so personal; they make set the distinction of a community hospital and so very special.”
