How to Donate
Donating Money
Operating a free healthcare clinic is an expensive proposition with medications and equipment to be paid for, vehicles, fuel, electricity bills and staff salaries to name a few of the major expenses. Hillside Health Care International is a faith based, non-denominational, non-profit operation, supported by individual donors and charitable organizations. The cost of operating the clinic exceeds $250,000 US annually, and the small fees assessed to program participants cover only a small fraction of operating costs.
We welcome and appreciate monetary donations to help sustain free medical care operations and education programs. Student participants are encouraged to raise funds as a donation in addition to the student fee requested if at all possible. Promotional materials for fundraising are available by contacting the US address. As an IRS approved 501 C3 organization, fully tax deductible contributions may be mailed to our P.O. Box in Brookfield, WI or made by credit card through “Google Donate or Buy Now” options below.
- If you are a student, make your payment using the “Buy Now” icon.
- If you are a donor, use the “Donate” icon.
Abby Brinkman was an Indiana University medical student from Columbus, Indiana and was serving at Hillside when she died in a boating accident while on a weekend break. Her parents, Jan and Roger Brinkman made the decision to turn this tragedy into a blessing for other students coming to Hillside by chairing a capital campaign to raise money for a much needed dormitory to be named “Abby's House”. If you would like to direct donations to this important project then use the Donate icon to make your donation.
To use the online method of making a student payment or donation by MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express (other cards are not supported), click on appropriate icon below. Donors may specify any amount while students will be asked to choose the appropriate amount by scrolling through the options. You will be asked to create a Google account and provide a credit card number with security code on back. Do not worry, this is a secure website and your card number will not be revealed to anyone. Simply follow the instructions and submit. We will follow-up with an email receipt acknowledging your generous contribution or student fee (per IRS regulations, student fees are not tax deductible). It is very important that you email jahartman@wisc.edu to specify if your donation is for Abby's House dormitory or a general donation to be used wherever Hillside needs it most. For students, it is very important that you email HillsideMananger@gmail.com if someone other than you makes the credit card payment or we will not be able to determine which student the money is for. We are grateful for the current preferred Google payment options because there are currently no fees for us to use this service. On behalf of the volunteers, students and the people of southern Belize, we thank you for your support of Hillside Health Care International and for your interest in our program.
Hillside Health Care International
C/O Stateside Director
P. O. Box 151
Brookfield, WI 53008-0151
Or contact the stateside director at 608-751-7672, jahartman@wisc.edu
Hillside Clinic’s IRS Non-Profit Identification number is 36-4291606. Receipts will be gratefully mailed for all donations.
Donating Drugs and Medical Supplies
The clinic is able to purchase some of the medications and other supplies it needs locally, but in its efforts to serve the people of Toledo it is also heavily dependent on direct donations of these items. The following link contains a list of common medications and supplies that are always needed. Medication/Supply Wish List. Volunteers are encouraged to bring any of these medications and supplies with them. Please check out this PDF file of different organizations that can help you in procuring medications for your trip. However, please email us at Manager@HillsideBelize.net before you send or bring anything to the health care center. Belize taxes and applies tariffs to most items shipped or carried into the country so we need to evaluate the value of the items to the work of the health care center before we accept them. As a general guideline if you plan to bring or mail drugs or supplies to the health care center then please plan to send an inventory at least a month in advance as this gives us time to request the necessary tariff exemptions and ensures that we can retrieve the items from customs in a timely manner. It is against international law to donate outdated medications and the health care center further requests that the drugs have a minimum of six months before they outdate, if at all possible, as the heat and humidity of Southern Belize reduces potency very quickly.
In addition, please consider donating any educational and/or office tools that might be of use (books, presentation materials, computers, etc.).
Donating Time and Talent
Many of the medical staff members donate their time to the clinic. Medical doctors and allied health practitioners have the opportunity to care for patients and assist in the oversight of the student and resident participants. Licensed care providers that are available to come to the clinic for a week to a month should contact the clinic directly at Manager@HillsideBelize.net Providers who wish to make a commitment of six months or more should contact the HHCI Director at jahartman@wisc.edu, or (608) 751-7672. Nurses, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists, dental teams and other medical personnel are also encouraged to inquire about volunteering their services at the clinic, using the above contacts.
In most cases short term (less than six months commitment) professional medical volunteers are responsible for their travel and housing costs. Long term volunteers (six months or more commitment) may get expenses covered and a living stipend if they are placed by the Catholic Medical Mission Board. On occasion, there will be free housing space available for shorter term volunteers at either the clinic housing units or at a house in Punta Gorda maintained by the clinic. The Hillside staff is able to provide information about alternative housing and will do whatever possible to assist with short term volunteers’ arrangements. Prospective clinician volunteers can reference the information on our web page for program activities, travel preparation and more.
Physicians in specialty fields are also welcome to offer their services. For example, in 2003-04, an ophthalmologist specializing in retinal care brought laser equipment to Punta Gorda. Through collaboration with Hillside and a local NGO that works in providing basic eye care to the population, the ophthalmologist was able to see and treat numerous patients with diabetic retinopathies warranting laser treatment. He has now visited and worked in the area on two occasions bringing a vital service to the population that would otherwise have been without.
Persons wishing to contact the clinic directly and evaluate if their services can be used should email the clinic at Manager@HillsideBelize.net with information about their availability and skills (a CV is helpful), and the clinic will respond promptly to their request. Once it is agreed that they will participate, a copy of their license will be needed in order to facilitate obtaining in country privileges.
Donating Frequent flyer miles
Hillside would benefit greatly if key leaders were able to fly to different meetings and conferences in the United States and throughout the world but we are limited due to the high cost of international travel. If you are willing and able to donate frequent flyer miles for these activities, please contact the stateside director of operations at 608-751-7672 or jahartman@wisc.edu. Thank you for you miles!
Donating Stocks
Hillside Health Care International has an account set up with Robert W Baird and Co to accept stock donations. The stock will be sold at the current market price and the proceeds will go towards the Hillside mission. Please contact Phil Hesselbein at phesselbein@wi.rr.com if you are interested in this form of donation. Thank you.
