Medical Missions Foundation

Art@Work In-House Winners Named!

Thank you to everyone that participated in this year's Medical Missions Foundation Art@ Work contest. Competition was fierce! Thanks to award winning photographers Dan Videtich and Dan White for serving as our judges.

Drum roll...

Scott Cook swept the contest winning first and second place with his contribution of photos taken on last year's Uganda mission.

1st place: "The Line"

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd place: "Vision Quest"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations, Scott, and good luck at the juried art show at Union Station this summer!

Important Dates:

• Union Station Exhibit July 15 through August 5
• Friends and Family Opening Reception July 22
• Art at Work "On Stage" and Awards Program August 3

Art@ Work is sponsored by the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City. Follow ArtsKC on Facebook for updates and previews of submissions.

Thanks again to everyone who participated. We had a great turn out of submissions and we have many talented photographers in this group. We can't wait to see everyone's pictures for next year!

Call to Mission Participants for Photograph Submissions- Art@Work Competition

Since 1996, Medical Missions Foundation has been honored to bring medical care to thousands of children and their families in underdeveloped countries around the world. Combining our medical teams with the healing power of art is what makes MMF such a unique and cherished organization. Now it's time for you to show us YOUR artistic side!

Medical Missions Foundation is pleased to once again participate in Art@Work- Inspiring the Workplace. This contest is sponsored by the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City. Local, nonprofessional artists are invited to submit their artwork to their company/ volunteer organization for consideration to be included in the city wide art show from July 15 through August 5th.

Have you participated on one of our missions? Please submit a photograph that is mission- oriented and helps tell the Medical Missions Foundation story. We are asking all MMF participants to submit favorite mission photography to the MMF office for this contest. Two winners will go on to the "Art@Work" juried art show at Union Station.

Important Dates:

• All entries due to MMF digitally by May 4, 2012 (instructions for submission in packet linked to below)
• Winners notified May 18, 2012
• Union Station Exhibit July 15 through August 5
• Friends and Family Opening Reception July 22
• Art at Work "On Stage" and Awards Program August 3

Download the MMF Art@Work Application here. Questions? Contact us at mmf@mmfworld.org or info@mmfworld.org.

Thanks in advance for your submissions! Medical Missions Foundation has taken home the first place ribbon in the photography division twice. In 2009, we participated in Art@Work for the first time and were honored to have the winning photo, "Papa's Little Helper," by Dr. David Kriet. Last year, "The Clinic" by Edward Tumanut won first place. This year it could be your mission photograph!

 

 

 

 

Support our goal to raise $5,000 for hearing aids by June 16!

We're plugging away at our goal to provide 100 hearing aids for children and their families in Antigua, Guatemala and you can help make it happen!

 

Last year, our Antigua mission was able to inaugurate the new audiology clinic at the Las Obras hospital and provide 100 hearing aids. Stories at the audiology clinic included a child hearing her mother's voice for the first time and a grandmother hearing her family clearly for the first time in thirty years.

A $10 donation can help provide hearing aids for our mission. Pass this along and support our goal to get to $5,000 for hearing aids by June 16!

Here's how to donate to Medical Missions Foundation's Guatemala Hearing Aid Fund:

• Select the $10 Hearing Aid option on Medical Missions Foundation's cause at causes.com.
• Enter the amount and "Hearing Aids for Guatemala" in the text of the Medical Missions Foundation donation page on the Medical Missions Foundation website.

We'll update frequently as to our progress on this goal. Thanks for helping change the lives of children and their families in Guatemala!

Help Medical Missions Foundation Provide Hearing Aids in Guatemala

We have Latin America missions on our minds these days at Medical Missions Foundation. Over the next few months we will be sending teams of volunteers to Ecuador and Guatemala (to San Lucas Toliman and Antigua). You can see specific dates on our mission schedule.

Additionally, we'll be hosting our third annual Noche for Niños event to fundraise specifically for these missions. This special "night for the children" will have a Latin American flair and will be held in Kansas City, where Medical Missions Foundation is based.

We know that we have supporters across the country and across the globe that won't be able to attend Noche for Niños, but we still want you involved!

Specifically, you could help a child hear for the very first time by donating to our hearing aid fund. On June 16, 2012, our team of Antigua mission volunteers (including audiologists)will be departing and we need to be able to send hearing aids to provide to children and their families at the clinic.

Last year, our Antigua mission was able to inaugurate the new audiology clinic at the Las Obras hospital and provide100 hearing aids. Stories at the audiology clinic included a child hearing her mother's voice for the first time and a grandmother hearing her family clearly for the first time in thirty years.

You can make that happen!

A $10 donation can help provide hearing aids for our mission. Pass this along and support our goal to get to $5,000 for hearing aids by June 16!

Here's how to donate to Medical Missions Foundation's Guatemala Hearing Aid Fund:

• Select the $10 Hearing Aid option on Medical Missions Foundation's cause at causes.com.
•  Enter the amount and "Hearing Aids for Guatemala" in the text of the Medical Missions Foundation donation page on the Medical Missions Foundation website.

We'll update frequently as to our progress on this goal. Thanks for helping change the lives of children and their families in Guatemala!

 

 

 

U.S. Organizations Work to Combat Kony's Reign of Terror

Organizations across the United States work to combat Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army's reign of terror, which made headlines recently with the Kony2012 video that's all over the internet.

Samaritan's Purse posted a great blog this morning sharing history of the LRA as well as the emergency aid they're providing to the people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Every year Medical Missions Foundation conducts a surgical mission in Gulu, Uganda, an area once afflicted by the LRA. Though Kony's men fled the region six years ago, some abuses remain. On our mission to Gulu in October, we were able to help a woman named Harriet who suffered facial injuries at the hands of the LRA, who had cut off her bottom lip. For years she had been ostracized and humiliated because of her appearance, but Medical Missions Foundation volunteer, Dr.Jeff, completed her surgery in 30 minutes and completely transformed her face.

Medical Missions Foundation's 2012 Gulu, Uganda mission will likely take place this fall and dates will be posted on the Mission Schedule, once finalized.

Read more about Medical Missions Foundation's work in Uganda:
2011 Uganda Medical Mission

2010 Uganda Medical Mission

 

Medical Missions Foundation in the News

Have you seen our news page on the MMF website recently? We just updated it with great stories from the last few weeks.

Some highlights include a three-part series by NBC Action News, a segment with Kathy Howell and artist Lisa Lala on Fox 4, a TechNation article, a feature in Her Kansas City magazine and more!

See the full list of stories here.

Artists' Contributions Support Medical Missions Foundation

We had a great showing of support from many talented artists for this year's annual Art for the Children Auction and Gala.

Was there a piece that you loved and didn't have the winning bid on? Check out the artists' websites to find out how you can obtain their work. Thanks again to all of our contributing artists!

(Learn more about Medical Missions Foundation's Art for the Children Auction and Gala here).

Cheryl Eve Acosta

Ricky Allman

Sue Adams

Joy Baer

Harriet Bigham

Rich Bowman

Jane Booth

Andy Brayman

Jennifer Bricker-Pugh

Allan Chow

Scott Cook

Joseph Flores

Karen Folgarelli

Suze Ford

Hilary Gaboriau

Anne Garney

Angela Garrett-Carmack

Cid Gillispie

Jon B. Gray

Jeffrey Hanson

Sandra Heinzelman

Joscelyn Himes

Reilly Hoffman

Cynthia Hudson

Kwanza Humphrey

Malcolm Kucharski

Natosha Keefer

Lisa Lala

Susan Lala

Mike McMullen

Amy Meya

Anthony Pack

Bill Rainey

Joyce Rotondi

Rebecca Pashia

Pam Peffer

Jennifer Rivera

Nicholas and Angela Snyder- Nerdbots

R. Gregory Summers

Ellen Sweeney

Penny Thieme

Sandra Van Tyul

Refujio Vargas

Bruce Varner

Jane Vorhees

Bess Wallerstein

Jackie Warren

Rick Wright

Artists, if you have a website and it's not listed here, please contact Shanna at mmf@mmfworld.org and we'll update this page with a link.

 

 

Dr. Tammy and Mali Mission Coordinator Christina were on NBC Action News today!

Dr. Tammy and Mali Mission Coordinator Christina were on NBC Action News (KSHB Ch. 41) this morning sharing about our recent mission to Ouelessebougou, Mali.

 

MMF CEUs for R.N.s

Medical Missions Foundation is an approved Continuing Education provider for the Kansas State Board of Nursing. Those interested in participating in our offering, “The Role of the Mission Nurse”, will receive 15 contact hours upon completion of the program requirements. The cost of the program is $150 and includes all reading materials and program coordination.

If you are interested in receiving information for the your upcoming mission, please email info@mmfworld.org or call the office at 913-338-0343.

Less than a month until MMF's 2012 Mali Mission

On January 6th our team of volunteer doctors, nurses and support staff will depart for Ouelessebougou, Mali. In preparation for the mission, here are a few fast facts about Mali.

•  7^th Largest country in Africa, with a population near 13M.
• Consists of 8 regions. The bottom 1/3^rd hosts 90% of the population, and features the Niger and Senegal Rivers. The upper 2/3^rd consists mostly of the Sahara Desert.
• Mali is considered to be one of the 5 poorest countries in the world. Average annual salary is US$1500, and half the population lives under the international poverty line.
• Governed under a constitutional democracy, the President is Amadou Toumani Toure’.
• Agriculture is the key industry, with cotton being the largest export.
• 90% of the population is Muslim, and French is the national language, though Bambara is most widely spoken.
• The adult illiteracy rate is 79%.

Medical Facts (WHO and UNESCO)

• Health and development indicators rank among the worst in the world.
• Life expectancy for men is 44, for women, 47.
• Infant mortality is 12%.
• Under age 5 mortality is 19%.
• In rural areas, 52% do not have access to improved drinking water sources.
• In rural areas, 61% do not have sustainable access to improved sanitation.
• 30% of children under age 5 are underweight.
• 92% of women undergo female genital mutilation.
• Women have an average of 7 children.

Thanks to our Mission Coordinator, Christina, for compiling and providing this information.

Pic from MMF Mali 2011 Mission