Farm Bureau Women’s Committee donates $5,000 to Monroe Foundation

Gainesville, Fla. – The Florida Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee voted recently to support the Munroe Foundation with a contribution of $5,000.

The Munroe Foundation provides financial support to Munroe Regional Medical Center for programs and needed equipment. This financial support has provided funding for educational scholarships for registered nursing degrees, the Pet Therapy program, a speech therapist for dyslexia, health seminars and grants for child abuse and chemotherapy education.

The Farm Bureau’s contribution will be used to help purchase an isolette. An isolette is an incubator used for premature babies while they are in the hospital. Munroe Regional Medical Center, the only obstetrics hospital in Marion County, is currently expanding its maternity ward and nursery facilities.

Rachel Kudelko, coordinator for the Women’s Leadership Program was pleased that money from the Women’s Fund will be used in this way.

“Farm Bureau members and Farm Bureau women have been very generous in their contribution,” said Kudelko. “This is the type of contribution we like to make and we hope assisting with the purchase of this much-needed equipment will be a tremendous benefit to the community.”

The Florida Farm Bureau Women’s Fund was established in 1974 to collect and distribute funds to non-profit hospitals to help patients who suffer from kidney disorders. Over the years, the Women’s Committee has expanded the Fund’s focus to include other health related issues, especially those relating to women. To date, Farm Bureau members have raised and donated over $200,000. More information about the Florida Farm Bureau Women’s Committee can be found on their Web site at www.floridafarmbureau.org. The 2008 Women’s Conference will be held in Ocala in March.

The Florida Farm Bureau Women plan to take a tour of the newly expanded maternity ward and nursery at some time in the future.

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general-interest agricultural association with about 143,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, the Federation is an independent, non-profit agricultural organization. More information about Florida Farm Bureau is available on the organization’s website, www.FloridaFarmBureau.org.