This story originally appeared in the Summer 2021 edition of Promise magazine.
For some 65 years, the Akron Community Foundation (ACF) has generously supported the ever-changing needs of the diverse individuals and organizations it serves throughout Summit County. And, for the last 20 years, the Foundation’s Gay Community Endowment Fund (GCEF) continues as a shining example of how ACF grantmaking supports an unwavering goal of “full inclusion for everyone.”
In 2020, GCEF awarded $10,000 to support Summa Health’s inaugural LGBTQ+ Healthcare Summit, which highlights health disparities specific to the LGBTQ+ community and helps train local physicians in providing inclusive care. The summit is scheduled for June 18 on the Summa Health System – Akron Campus.
“We feel strongly about the people we support and place Summa’s Pride Clinic at the top of our list for donations we’ve made over the years,” said Julie Jones, chair of the endowment fund. “We’re very pleased to be a small part of the great work the Pride Clinic is doing.”
John Garofalo, vice president for Community Investment at ACF, echoed the importance of the Pride Clinic in the community. “The fact that an LGBTQ+ person can go to a place like the Pride Clinic where they are respected and feel at home is remarkable. We are grateful to be able to support Summa’s Pride Clinic.”
For more information about supporting the Summa Health Pride Clinic, 1260 Independence Avenue, Akron, contact Andra Polasky at 330.375.3873 or polaskya@summahealth.org.
