$1.8 Billion

$170.71

Any idea what these three sets of numbers stand for? Well, they all have to do with Mother’s Day, which is coming up this Sunday! Each year, approximately $2.2 billion is spent on flowers for Mom, while another $1.8 billion is spent on cards! That’s a total of 4 BILLION DOLLARS for flowers and cards! So you may be wondering, what’s $170.71 mean? According to Forbes the average mother’s day gift is approximately $170.71!

This year, consider giving a gift to Mom unlike any other! Unlike flowers or cards, which unfortunately get thrown away after a week or two, give the gift of changing lives.

Consider making a gift to HealthNet in honor or in memory of all the moms in your life.Your gift, in honor or memory of all the moms in your life can make a huge impact on Indy and the patients we serve. From helping provide mammograms for women who couldn’t otherwise afford them, to providing emergency medical care to patients, every gift, whether it’s $5.00 or $170.00 makes a difference in the lives of our patients. 

To make a tax-deductible donation in honor or memory of the moms in your life, you can click here or send a check by mail to HealthNet.

Kay Johnson, HealthNet staff member, shares her personal story on the importance of reminding the ones you love to take care of themselves.  Whether it is a gentle push or a ‘GET YOUR BUTT TO THE DOCTOR!’, Kay stresses the urgency to love the ones nearest to you.

Kay, as a child, with her mother!

I’ve been mothered by many amazing women in my lifetime, and I’m grateful to all of them. There were Betty and Liz, second moms who rounded out my own mom’s mothering. Aunt Bonnie, who checked on me regularly during my growing up years to make sure I was holding steady. Ruthie, a neighbor who grew to be one of my most trusted confidants. And Emily, who always knew when to give me a good swift kick as only a best friend can!

Most importantly, there was my own mother, who taught me moxie, grace and conviction. And especially my grandma, who surely earned sainthood status for raising me while in her 60s and 70s after my mom died of breast cancer at age 36.

Although I’m thankful for all the mothering I’ve had, there’s almost nothing I would like more than to go back in time and urge my mom to get that breast check-up earlier than she did. If you still have that opportunity with your mom – take it! Mother’s Day is a great time to gently nag HER for a change (with love, of course!) and encourage her to take care of herself.

I’ve added three names to my list of amazing women that I’m celebrating this Mother’s Day. Strong women I’ve met at HealthNet who are doing just that – mothering other women in how to take care of themselves. There’s Irene, a woman of faith who courageously battled breast cancer and now shares her story so that her daughters, and others, can learn from her experience. There’s Paula, a nurse and breast cancer survivor who teaches low-income moms how to be their own best health care advocate. And Maggie, a young woman who honors the grandmother she never knew by helping women in need get access to life-saving mammograms.

There’s almost nothing I would like more than to go back in time and urge my mom to get that breast check-up earlier than she did! – Kay speaking about losing her mother as a child.

In honor and in memory of mothers everywhere, let’s share the love we feel for our own moms – and other “moms” in our lives – by spreading the word and raising funds to support women in Indy who need better access to women’s health care. I encourage you to read more about the need and then to do something about it!

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Make a $25 donation today that will help a woman in need gain access to a mammogram, visit our website and refer someone who needs direction to begin regular screenings, or simply spread the word on the importance of regular check-ups and mammograms.  Together, we can break down ALL barriers keeping women from staying healthy.

Tell us something special about one of the “moms” in your life! Visit our Facebook page and share your story!

Of course, mom will be thrilled and admire the beauty and scent of the flowers for a few days but then what? This year, why not consider giving her a gift that will not wilt, not lose its color and not need to be thrown away in a week. This year, why not consider giving her a gift of life – for someone else. For the cost of a bouquet of flowers, you could make a $25 contribution to HealthNet’s Mammography Program to assist uninsured women living in poverty receive access to life-saving preventative screenings.

When it comes to women’s health, a gift of $25 helps ensure that a woman who can’t afford a mammogram will get one. It helps create a community of support and a place to turn for questions when an inner-city woman finds out she has breast cancer. A gift of $25 gives us the ability to provide tools that enable girls and women to become better health advocates. This gift changes everything.

Consider making a gift to HealthNet in honor or in memory of all the moms in your life. We all know the value of access to health care services, and I know that many of you care deeply about women’s health issues. So this Mother’s Day, when you’re contemplating which bouquet of flowers to buy, consider honoring your mom with a gift to HealthNet.

Click to make your $25 donation online or send a check by mail to HealthNet.  With each donation, we’re on our way to changing Indy. Let’s make our city a healthier place for moms everywhere!

Other suggestions on how to make a difference?  Have a fun Mother’s Day story?  Comment below.  Keep the conversation going!!

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Want to keep up-to-date with HealthNet’s efforts to improve access to health care in Indy? Friend, follow and find out more!

On May 8, nearly 140 million Mother’s Day cards will be exchanged in the United States. Most of these cards cost between $4 and $5!

Now imagine what would happen if you donate that five dollars to your favorite Indy non-profit in honor of Mom. We could CHANGE our city for the better!

But wait…you may be wondering how five dollars can change anything. When it comes to women’s health, five dollars helps ensure that a woman who can’t afford a mammogram will get one. Five dollars helps create a community of support and a place to turn for questions when an inner-city woman finds out she has breast cancer. Five dollars gives us the ability to provide tools that enable girls and women to become better health advocates. Five dollars changes everything.

Consider making a gift to HealthNet in honor or in memory of all the moms in your life. And if you’re thinking a $5 donation doesn’t make a difference, think again. If every one of our blog readers, e-newsletter subscribers, Twitter followers and Facebook supporters made a $5 donation in honor of their mom or loved one this Mother’s Day, we’d raise more than $20,000 for early breast cancer detection and awareness for women in need. That’s right — $20,000.

We all know the value of access to health care services, and I know that many of you care deeply about women’s health issues. So this Mother’s Day, when you’re contemplating which card to buy, honor your mom with a gift to HealthNet.

With every $5 donation, we’re on our way to changing Indy. Let’s make our city a healthier place for moms everywhere!

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Want to keep up-to-date with HealthNet’s efforts to improve access to health care in Indy? Friend, follow and find out more!