Woman’s Hospital donors Joseph “Joey” Aiden Roth and Chris Ciesielski have been named “Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy” and “Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser,” respectively, by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Baton Rouge Chapter.
Roth, age 8, is the founder of J.A.R. for Change. Several months ago, he placed jars in schools, libraries, grocery stores and other public places so people could donate their loose change. Roth collected $5,000 and donated the funds to Woman’s for the “Joey Time” program – which uses Apple’s “Face Time” – to virtually connect families with their sick and premature babies. Parents are sometimes unable to stay in Woman’s Newborn and Infant Intensive Care Unit (NICU) because of work or their own health complications. With Joey Time, an iPad is set up next to the infant’s incubator, and the mother can use another iPad to see her baby.
In addition to “changing the world with change” as he likes to say, Roth is a dynamic speaker whose enthusiasm inspires others to give; when he spoke to 140 “grown ups” at the Woman’s Impact Luncheon, more than $27,000 was raised.
Currently serving as President of NFP Benefits Solution Group, Inc., Ciesielski has been involved in Woman’s Annual Giving Campaign since its inception five years ago. He served as Vice Chair of the 2014 Annual Giving Campaign Cabinet to raise funds for Woman’s programs and services that address critical community needs. As Individual Giving Chair, Ciesielski led a highly successful Radiothon. Ciesielski’s volunteer and leadership activities extend throughout Baton Rouge; he serves on the board of the Baton Rouge International School Foundation and is an active member of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge.
About the Foundation for Woman’s: Since its inception in 1968, Woman’s has evolved to become so much more than a place focused only on delivering babies. The organization has made it a priority to address profound problems in the community that affect women and babies, including infant prematurity, sexual assault care, HIV/AIDS transmission prevention, access to breast cancer screenings and more. Without continued support, Woman’s community programs and services could be reduced in scope or eliminated due to Medicaid reductions and state budget issues. For more information, call 225-924-8720 or email development@womans.org.