First and foremost, THANK YOU. Your dedication as a family physician is the heartbeat of our communities. As the philanthropic arm of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians, the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance (GHFA) extends its deepest gratitude for your tireless work and your ongoing commitment to the well-being of Georgians.

As the year draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on the impactful contributions of family physicians like you. Your support has been instrumental in shaping the health landscape of Georgia, and for that, we are truly thankful.

A Humble Request: Consider a $500 Tax-Deductible Donation

Understanding the demands on your time and resources, we humbly ask you to consider a tax-deductible donation of $500 to the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance. Your contribution will enable us to continue the vital work that GAFP members make possible in local communities across the state.

Your Impact: Grants, Education, and Community Initiatives

Since the inception of our grants programs, GAFP member-sponsored healthcare grants have totaled an impressive $720,000, supporting initiatives that enhance the overall health of Georgians. Over the last 18 months, GHFA funding has allowed us to reach more than 65,000 Georgia students through Tar Wars, our tobacco and vape-use prevention program.

Featured Impact: Ethnē Health Grant

One shining example of the impact of your support is the recent $5,000 grant to Ethnē Health, a Non-Profit medical clinic in Clarkston, GA. This grant has played a crucial role in improving access to healthcare for refugees and immigrants new to Georgia. Ethnē Health, under the leadership of GAFP member Esther Kim, MD, ensures that Clarkston-area children and adults receive quality healthcare with culturally sensitive and language-appropriate services. Your support has facilitated 2,741 medical interpretation calls in forty-seven languages over the past year, breaking down language barriers and providing essential care.

Your Support in Action: Local Initiatives

We rely on the leadership, support, and generosity of family physicians like you to continue supporting organizations such as Ethnē Health. Your contributions also enable us to champion local initiatives like the Diaper Drive and Baby Supply Bank Project, Soccer in the Streets Youth Food Scarcity Project, and Tar Wars.

Together, we are working towards a healthier Georgia, but this journey is only possible with your support.

How to Make a Difference: Donate Today

As a GAFP member, you are part of an active movement striving to improve the health and well-being of Georgians. Your contribution, no matter the size, makes a significant impact. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today to ensure that our collective efforts continue to make a positive difference.

Visit www.georgiahealthyfamilyalliance.org to make your contribution and support a healthier Georgia.  Or the QR code at the bottom of this page.

Thank you for being a vital part of our mission. We appreciate all that you do for the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians and the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a healthy start to the new year.

In gratitude,

Mitzi Rubin, MD – Atlanta
President – Georgia Healthy Family Alliance
Alliance Caduceus Donor

Eddie Richardson, MD – Atlanta
Past President – Georgia Healthy Family Alliance
Alliance Diamond Caduceus Donor

P.S. – Use this QR code to make your gift today. You can also donate online at www.georgiahealthyfamilyalliance.org – and click the donate button at the top of the page for your tax-deductible support!

The GHFA Board of Trustees gave top donors VIP treatment in the inaugural GHFA Donor Hospitality Room in conjunction with the GAFP Annual Meeting November 10-11 at The Hotel at Avalon in Alpharetta.

Pledges of a minimum of $500 not only gave GAFP members exclusive access to complimentary refreshments on Friday and Saturday but also contributed to better health for youth and families in communities across Georgia through our Community Health and Immediate Needs grant programs.

Special thanks to Dr. Casey Henritz, Dr. Jack Liao, Dr. Beverly Hyacinth, and Dr. Bruce LeClair for making their year-end donations on-site.

The VIP Donor Hospitality Room was just one way GHFA is reaching out to GAFP members for year-end support of our Grant Programs as well as the Tar Wars tobacco and vaping prevention program presented to more than 50,000 Georgia youth last school year.

There’s still time to  join your colleagues and make a difference in the lives of Georgia families this year! Please use the QR code below to make your year-end gift today. You can also donate online at www.georgiahealthyfamilyalliance.org – and click the donate button at the top of the page for your tax-deductible support!

The Georgia Healthy Family Alliance (GHFA) – the foundation arm of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians -recently received a $250,000 donation from Aetna Better Health of Georgia to support two key initiatives that will advance the health of all Georgians and combat health disparities, especially in underserved and rural communities. Aetna Better Health of Georgia Interim CEO and Market Lead Andre Greenwood (C) presented the grant check to GHFA Vice President Harry Strothers, MD (L) and GHFA President Mitzi Rubin, MD (R) at the GAFP Scientific Assembly on November 10, 2023 in Alpharetta. 

Aetna Better Health of Georgia grant funding will be dedicated to supporting the Tar Wars tobacco and vaping education and prevention program in schools around the state, with a focus on schools with a Title 1 designation. Knowing that many children receive the balance of their meals at school, this grant will allow GHFA to offer additional support to provide healthy school snacks and/or donate needed supplies for the school’s health clinic. The remaining grant funds will be distributed through GHFA’s Community and Immediate Needs grant programs. These grant projects are identified by Georgia Academy of Family Physician members who seek support for critical health needs identified in their communities across Georgia.  To make a donation or apply for a grant visit www.georgiahealthyfamilyalliance.org or email ksinkule@gafp.org.

Deadline for 2023 Applicants is December 15

Because many Georgia Academy members continue to be aware of those struggling in their communities, especially in rural areas*, applications for the 2023 Georgia Healthy Family Alliance Immediate Needs Community Grants will be accepted until December 15th.  Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to Georgia Academy member-identified immediate needs in their communities with a focus on rural areas across the state. Some examples of recent grants were the support of local small businesses devastated by the tornado that ripped through Griffin, and diapers for a domestic violence shelter in Habersham County.  

To date, GHFA has awarded more than $58,000 in Immediate Needs Grants since 2020. The Immediate Needs Grant application and review process has been streamlined to allow staff to transmit funds within 3-5 days.   

Visit https://form.jotform.com/232705001403135 to complete and submit your grant application online. Questions? Contact Kara Sinkule – ksinkule@gafp.org or call 404-321-7445. Grant applications are also available on the GHFA website.

GHFA Immediate Needs Grants in Rural Communities are funded by a grant from Molina Healthcare and the Molina Cares Accord.

This year in Clarke, Banks, and Cherokee counties, Halloween was about more than just costumes and eating too much candy. Trained Tar Wars presenters ⎼ including medical students from the AU/UGA Medical College of Georgia campus and Northeast Georgia Family Medicine Residents Dr. Shaina Alleyne and Dr. Nickeya Wynn ⎼ delivered the tobacco, nicotine, and vape prevention Tar Wars message as a part of Red Ribbon Week.

Our volunteer presenters facilitated multiple presentations to elementary, middle, and high school students reaching nearly 10,000 youth during Red Ribbon Week alone. They encouraged students to stay healthy and resist the temptation to use and abuse harmful nicotine and e-cigarette products. They also provided cessation resources and other informative handouts to the students.

We are thankful to these amazing Tar Wars presenters and are so encouraged by the impact they made on students.

There are two ways that you can help stop Georgia youth from smoking or vaping in YOUR community before they ever start:

1. Become a Tar Wars presenter! Program Q & A and Presenter Training Sessions are available weekly during most lunch hours through September and October. Click HERE to sign up!
2. Become a Tar Wars champion in your community! Are you connected to your area principal, school board and/or school nurses and health educators?  Would you love to see students in your local school systems receive the Tar Wars program?  Please connect us with your area school leaders so that we can spread our anti-tobacco and anti-vaping message to students across our state.  Please email tarwars@gafp.org for resources and information on how to get connected!

Deputy Executive Director Kara Sinkule beams with pride to receive the award

The Georgia Healthy Family Alliance (GAFP’s Foundation) was awarded the 2023 Program of the Year award from Pride Philanthropy. Pride Philanthropy is a national fundraising consulting company that focuses on health care nonprofits. They have helped more than 1,000 nonprofits successfully raise donor support from $2 million to more than $100 million. The leaders of Pride Philanthropy, Patti and Jim Lyons, assisted the Alliance through the first-ever capital campaign to raise more than $4 million to advance our mission and goals to keep Georgians healthy.

Situation & Goals

The campaign was structured to raise $4M to fulfill its mission to enhance the well-being of Georgians through outreach programs that promote healthy practices. Another goal of the campaign was to further the organizational capacity of the Alliance to increase the number of community health grants and Tar Wars presentations statewide.

Objective

Philanthropically engage and mobilize a statewide association of family practice physicians in their initial, dual-pillar campaign.

Strategy

• (1st pillar) Expand physician member-sponsored Community Grants program (also added Immediate Needs Grants during the pandemic) to underserved populations throughout Georgia.
• (2nd pillar) Implement Tar Wars anti-tobacco and vaping education programs in schools in targeted Strike Force communities.
• Cultivate and solicit signature gift ($50,000 and above) support from hospitals and corporations statewide.
• Expand donor-giving clubs with a focus on Caduceus Society ($10,000 and above)
• Optimize philanthropy director efforts by utilizing physician leaders and senior association staff as volunteer connectors and closers.

Results

• Exceeded $4 Million
• 49,000+ Georgia students received Tar Wars education in the 2022-23 school year.
• Distributed over $500,000 in Community Grants plus 53 Immediate Needs Grants during the campaign.

The Alliance staff were astonished to receive the highest award that Pride Philanthropy designates to one key client annually.  To learn more about your foundation go to www.georgiahealthyfamilyalliance.org.