For Third Year, Major Gift Supports Daycare, Summer Camp Costs for Wheeler Employees

Noting the rising cost of living and difficult financial balance many families struggle with, for the third year in a row, an anonymous donor is supporting daycare and summer camp costs for Wheeler Health employees.

The gift provides approximately two-dozen $1,000 stipends for eligible and selected employees, and the donor is also covering the equivalent of the employee portion of the FICA payroll tax to maximize the benefit for employees receiving the award.  Called The Summer of Hope initiative, after Wheeler’s headquarters at One Hope Street, Bristol, the stipend application was open to any employee, but priority was given to employees based on financial need.  More than forty staff applied for assistance this year, a record number.

“As I meet with staff, one consistent trend has been the overwhelming cost of managing work and childcare,” says President and Chief Executive Officer Sabrina Trocchi, PhD, MPA. “This donor understands so well that employee wellness—and even the ability to be there for our patients, clients and students—starts at home, and we’re so incredibly grateful for their amazing generosity.”

“Throughout our career, we’ve seen that you have to take care of your people,” the donor said in a statement. “We hope it’s a wonderful summer for the children of Wheeler employees, who work so hard every day, and we hope that these same employees can breathe a little easier knowing that we can help with this major expense. Healthcare and education are such demanding professions, and we’re honored to be able to help people doing that frontline work. Our communities need them, more than ever.”