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Medical Staff of Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center Gift $25,000 to Tidewater Arts Outreach

(Hampton Roads) – Tidewater Arts Outreach received an extraordinary gift of $25,000 from the Medical Staff Fund of Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center in Norfolk, Virginia in early March of 2021, proving generosity in the Hampton Roads region is alive and well despite the challenges of the last 12 months. 

“This gift is pivotal for this mission’s sustainability,” stated Tidewater Arts Outreach Executive Director, Kate Powell. “We have been fortunate enough to weather the pandemic with no lay-offs or program halts. But as we entered the new year, the top question was how to insulate Tidewater Arts Outreach against program interruptions in the uncertain future. This gift from the medical staff of DePaul Medical Center have made that future far more certain and we are confident we will continue delivering the healing power of the arts to those in isolating circumstances in this region because of it – no matter what lies ahead.” 

“We are honored the medical staff of DePaul Medical Center find this mission important enough to invest in this generous way,” says Tidewater Arts Outreach Board President, Donna Long. “We are determined to do justice to their confidence in this organization and its mission.” 

TAO’s board and management are currently discussing the best way to utilize this gift so its impact will go beyond the current fiscal year and create sustainability for the organization. 

The most important message TAO wants to communicate to the medical staff of DePaul, however, is gratitude. 

“Considering what everyone – especially our health care workers – has been through in the last year, this gift is truly an amazing gesture,” says Powell. “There aren’t words to describe what this means to the artists and program participants. All we can say is ‘thank you’ over and over again.” 

Four other non-profit organizations also received gifts from the fund. DePaul Medical Center is set to close March 31, 2021.  

About Tidewater Arts Outreach: 

The mission of Tidewater Arts Outreach (TAO) is to bring joy to older adults and those living in isolating circumstances and enhance their well-being through creative engagement with the arts. TAO was founded in 2004 by artist MaryAnn Toboz and has produced over 3,300 programs at 168 different facilities and served over 92,000 participants – participants who never pay for a TAO program. 

For more information, contact Kate Powell, Executive Director, at 757-916-7343 or [email protected].