The Charles Lafitte Foundation (CLF) will pledge $75,000 over a five-year period for the Gender Equity Internship at Monmouth Medical Center Foundation.
These funds will begin in January 2018 and will be applied to financing, advertisement and selection of internship applicants.
The purpose of this gift will be to establish a grant that supports internships focused on working with employee resource groups at MMCF to create, update, and support LGBTQ+ inclusive information and work environments. The interns selected will be pursuing majors or minors in gender and sexuality studies. They will work with LGBTQ+ community leaders to plan and/or support events, create new pathways for LGBTQ+ inclusive hiring efforts and mentoring and work on strategic planning for a PROUD clinic at MMCF.
Located in Long Branch, N.J., Monmouth Medical Center, an RWJ Barnabas Health facility, along with The Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, is one of New Jersey’s largest academic medical centers and has been a teaching affiliate of Philadelphia’s Drexel University College of Medicine for more than 40 years.
Kyra Citron, daughter of Jeff and Suzanne Citron (CLF founders), has a special interest in the Gender Equity Grant and actively participated in its development.
“Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) is making a strong effort to provide the LGBTQ+ population with informative and friendly healthcare. I am happy CLF can support their efforts. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, it is important to me that my local hospital be able to create a safe and compassionate environment for their patients and providers. Through their funding of the Gender Equity Internship, CLF hopes to create and foster partnerships between local college students and the medical center. Interns employed through this internship will learn about the healthcare system and how to effectively integrate diversity and inclusion. My hope is that the Gender Equity Internship will allow both the intern and Monmouth Medical Center to continue evolving in their healthcare knowledge and skills regarding the LGBTQ+ population. I look forward to seeing how the MMC will maximize their impact and increase their outreach.”
Maja Meighan, Assistant Vice President at Monmouth Medical Center Foundation, is inspired by the donation and the work and education that the grant will allow. “I dream of a society where a person is not seen through the lens of race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity; but have the same equal access to treatment and services available to all without reservation. The grant will provide us the opportunity to ensure we create an environment where everyone regardless of who you are, who you love or associate with, you will be treated with respect and dignity, have the opportunity to serve and be served in any capacity. Kyra’s work as an intern last summer at Monmouth Medical Center was the ground-breaking for something greater, bigger and better but most create an environment where we can begin to celebrate INCLUSION of all people”.
The Charles Lafitte Foundation (CLF) supports innovative and effective ways of helping people help themselves and others around them to achieve healthy, satisfying and enriched lives.
The Foundation supports organizations working in four main areas: education, children’s advocacy, medical research & issues, and the arts. To learn more about CLF, visit: www.charleslafitte.org
Visit their site to learn more about Monmouth Medical Center Foundation and their work.