50 Years of Support for 'A Very Special Place'
50 Years of Support for 'A Very Special Place'
Claire Surval credits National Jewish Health for saving her brother's life.
For 50 years, Claire Surval of Queens, New York, has shown her support for National Jewish Health in a variety of ways. She has helped to raise money by managing a thrift shop, running bingo games, coordinating luncheons and, most recently, giving through a charitable gift annuity (CGA).
And it all began in the 1950s when Claire believes the institution saved her brother's life.
Her brother, Allan Abramson, was a patient at the National Home for Asthmatic Children for three years. "The home" eventually became part of modern-day National Jewish Health.
"I've always felt an allegiance to National Jewish Health," Claire says. "My brother was severely asthmatic as a child, and I'm not sure he would have survived. Being at the home gave him coping skills he might not have had and taught him not to panic during an asthmatic attack."
Recently, Claire decided to continue the legacy of her support through a CGA.
A CGA through National Jewish Health provides donors with fixed income for life while also supporting the mission of the hospital. There are tax benefits to CGAs as well. The initial gift is partially income tax-deductible (when you itemize on your taxes), and the CGA payments are partially income tax–free.
"It's a wonderful way to make a donation," Claire says. "I'm enjoying getting a good interest rate for the rest of my life, and the partial tax break is a plus as well. I feel it's a wise decision."
Claire's work on behalf of the institution began five decades ago when her mother was asked to volunteer. Her mother joined the Concourse auxiliary chapter in the Bronx, and eventually Claire did too.
"My mother instilled in me a sense of social values and wanting to help others," she says.
Throughout the years, Claire has donated time and money to National Jewish Health and spread the word about the institution and its exceptional patient care and research.
"The work was very gratifying, and it still is," Claire says. She's even made friends with people from Florida to Arizona and California while volunteering and fundraising on behalf of National Jewish Health.
"We became like a family, and all knew each other," she says. "We exchanged ideas and helped each other."
Today, five decades later, National Jewish Health remains Claire's favorite charity.
"There is no place like it," Claire says. "I know that when it comes to respiratory and immunological diseases, if there's a hope for a cure, it will probably come from National Jewish Health. It's a very special place."
Make a Plan to Help National Jewish Health
Contact Gordon P. Smith, MBA, CFRE at 1.800.423.8891, Ext. 6549 or smithgo@njhealth.org today to learn how you can plan a gift that provides you with income for life. We can explain your options in more detail and provide you with an illustration of your potential benefits.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.