Haven recently received a $15,000 grant from the Thomas A. Plein Foundation to help fund its veteran and first responder programs.
The funds will partially cover expenses associated with Haven’s We Honor Heroes program, which shows appreciation for patients throughout Haven’s 18-county service area who have served in the military or as a first responder. The Plein Grant will also establish a fund to grant wishes specifically for military and first responder veterans who are in hospice care.
“The Plein Foundation gift is especially meaningful to patients and families that Haven serves,” said Haven President Gayle Mattson. “The important veterans program now can be more fully developed and expanded to include first responders’ recognition. Haven is proud to be a part of the Thomas Plein legacy.”
To thank and recognize the Thomas A. Plein Foundation for its generosity, Haven plans to install a memorial in remembrance of Thomas A. Plein at its E.T. York Care Center in Gainesville.
The Thomas A. Plein Foundation was established by Thomas A. Plein in the 1980s to advance his family’s philanthropic interests. The family owned 7-Up bottling plants in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and other Midwest cities. Grateful for their business success, the Pleins believed in giving back to their community. The foundation’s philosophy is rooted in the values, sentiments and beliefs of founder Thomas A. Plein.