24 Karat Altruism
An IU Health La Porte Release
You can never have too many charities—at least that’s how the Mebust family appears to approach life. Mother, Diana VanSchoyck-Mebust and her daughters, Kayte Mebust and Meghan (Mebust) Gustafson are all colleagues of Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital and each a member of the La Porte Hospital Foundation.
If you’ve never been in a room with three passionate philanthropists, it takes some getting used to. Where one charity ends, another begins and another and another—everything from animal shelters to food banks and all points in between—a dizzying array of giving.
“When you start out young in life, giving to charities,” says Diana, Director of Food and Nutrition at IU Health La Porte Hospital, “it becomes second nature—like taking care of your own family. It’s just something I learned from my parents, passed it on to my children and hope they pass it on to the next generation.”
Kayte, Staff Accountant at IU Health La Porte Hospital couldn’t agree more. In between her descriptions of volunteering for the LiL’ F.I.S.H. Club® for fourth graders, Women’s Fair™ and the Holiday at the Pop’s concert, she slows down to reflect, “Giving to charities with your family are a wonderful way to give back to the community.”
While Diana and Kayte are busy demonstrating how used Christmas cards are collected, processed and sent away to St. Jude’s Ranch, a safe haven for abused, abandoned and neglected children, Meghan, HR Generalist at IU Health La Porte Hospital tells about the United Way and how easy it is to give through payroll deduction.
“I think it’s nice,” says Meghan, “to see all the different charity opportunities you have to choose from.”
But Meghan has something else to say that’s not quite ready to come out. Her eyes lower slightly as if shying away from saying something. But this temporary lull of conversation is soon filled as Diana and Kayte launch headlong into explaining the contributions to the Salvation Army, gifts for troops, the Indigent Fund, the La Porte Hospital Foundation and then back to Christmas cards.
Every year, Kayte sends out emails to her family and friends, “It’s that time of year again.” And every year, they receive an outpouring of used Christmas cards.
“We take the front of the cards, bundle them together and mail them to St. Jude’s Ranch,” says Diana. “The children at the ranch make new cards out of the pictures and/or fronts. It’s therapy for the children and they sell the recycled cards as a fundraiser. We send thousands of used cards each year and the newly made Christmas cards from St. Jude’s Ranch always sell out.”
Finally, Meghan looks up. “It’s not about us, though,” she says. “We’re nothing special. It’s just that we’ve seen it our whole lives—it makes me want to be more like my mom.”
There’s a look that passes between Diana and Meghan – one of those silent conversations mothers and daughters carry on with their eyes—a brief moment, like a speed bump on this long, passionate journey of philanthropy they share. Then, it’s on to the next topics: food banks, homeless Veterans fund, animal shelters and many more.
And it’s at that moment you realize you’re in the presence of something truly wonderful—precious like gold, not the fool’s variety that falls from the lips in a racket of self-adoration, but the real article found deep within those rich veins of the heart—24 karat altruism (unselfish regard for the welfare of others).
Go to IU Health La Porte Newsroom
