Doyinsola is a wife, mum, and the founder of iCurea Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization in Houston, TX, that focuses on providing basic psychological, emotional support and relief for the underprivileged in the community.
She has a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Care Management from Towson University and a dual Master of Business Administrator and Healthcare Administrator from University of Maryland Global Campus.
She has worked in long term care settings for 13 years as HR Director and Nursing Homes Administrator which led to the passion of giving back to seniors and others in the community.
The holidays are approaching. The iCurea Foundation is looking for sponsors for their 7th Annual Christmas giving for seniors in low-income nursing homes. “Our goal is to donate 600 Christmas pajamas set to 600 seniors in December.” Giving brings me joy and I love to put smiles on the faces of everyone that I meet. I also believe that I’m here to be a blessing to many.”
The iCurea (pronounced I care) Foundation has been providing love, resources, and impacting lives for years. Tell us about the important work of the organization.
Prior to the creation of iCurea Foundation, we had been operating under a project name called “Caring for the elderly” (Elderly Project). This project has been operating since it’s inauguration in 2016. The vision for the Elderly Project was to provide a holiday season filled with love and joy for the seniors in the community. We particularly chose the Christmas season because this is a holiday filled with family traditions and gift exchanges.
We chose the nursing home because most residents in the homes mostly had busy family members who live far away, or some have no family members to care or visit during this period. We decided to bridge the gap to loneliness by buying gifts for the seniors and distributing it around Christmas day.
Volunteers of this project work tirelessly to purchase each gift, wrap them individually and present the gift to a low-income nursing home around the Houston vicinity.
iCurea Foundation has donated 2110 Christmas gifts to 23 nursing homes in Houston and surrounding cities since 2016.Today, we are proud to say that the foundation has expanded beyond the residents in nursing homes, to supporting other groups in our community.
Why has your passion been to help others?
I’m a true believer of the word of God that says *Those who are gracious to the poor lend to the Lord, and the Lord will fully repay them.” My faith has shaped me, and one can’t practice love without giving.
What does iCurea Foundation offer the community?
With the support of the iCurea Foundation team, donors, and volunteers, –
- We have partnered with Gem Yard Sign to celebrate children’s birthdays. These are children who have looked forward to this day but whose parents cannot afford a celebration. At iCurea we believe that every child’s birthday deserves to be celebrated
- We also provide Care Packages (hygiene products and snacks) to the homeless
- We support parents in need with baby items for their children
- We have opportunity for children to make Christmas cards for seniors, which are included with our Christmas gifts.
- We provide volunteer opportunities for teens to serve in different positions
- We give Christmas gifts to seniors in low-income nursing homes.
- We partner with other organizations that their project or mission align with ours.
Are you seeing any trends post-pandemic?
The pandemic affected us all in different ways, we noticed that during the pandemic, our volunteers could not go into the nursing homes as we previously did. We realized there was a need as more nursing homes requested their sites to be considered for senior gift donations.
As restrictions were lifted, we saw an increase in the need and demands for baby items such as diapers and wipes due to unemployment or financial hardship. At our recent Care Package delivery for the homeless, we observed an anecdotal increase in numbers of those living in tents on the streets in downtown Houston.
The holidays are around the corner. Tell us about the Annual Christmas giving for seniors in low-income nursing homes.
My work experience in long term care has exposed me to the need of seniors in low-income nursing homes. I have seen how lonely and depressing Christmas season can be for these seniors. We have decided the role is to bridge the gap by donating Christmas gifts and Christmas cards to them to make their day memorable and celebrate Christmas just like everyone else.
This past year, with the help of our volunteers, we were able to include Christmas cards, which were hand designed by elementary school children, in our packages. Thus handwritten notes were well received in the community and we hope to be able to incorporate this practice into our yearly giving.
With the increased in request for sites last year, we have set a goal to increase our gift giving this year if we obtain more sponsors. Our goal is to be able to increase the number of seniors we reach yearly.
The joy on their faces when they receive their gifts makes it all worthwhile.
What do you enjoy the most about this fundraiser?
I enjoy fundraising because it helps me to connect people who have a passion about making a difference with a cause they care about. People feel human when they know their support will make a difference. After several months of fundraising, we reach out to our community to nominate/recommend a low-income nursing home to receive Christmas gifts from us. Once we have the nomination, we make sure the facility accepts Medicaid/ and Medicare residents to qualify for the donation. The best part is when we reach out to nursing homes that we will provide Christmas gifts to their seniors. The excitement and gratitude from the facilities makes all the stress worthy it. The facility sends us sizes of their residents and we shop and wrap the gifts with the help of our volunteers. Before Christmas, the iCurea team drop offs/distribute the gifts to seniors in the selected nursing homes.
How has giving back strengthened you as a person?
Giving back has made me more grateful for life and I don’t stress about what I do not have, rather I have a lot of appreciation for what I have been given in life. It has made me to also encourage others to always have an attitude of gratitude.
Share your vision for iCurea Foundation in 2023.
In 2023 with the help and generosity of our sponsors, donors, and volunteers we hope to increase the number of our care package to 200 bags or more, support more parents with essential needs for their children, donate 700-800 Christmas gifts to seniors in low-income nursing homes and collaborate with other organizations to support the community
How can we reach you to discuss sponsorship and volunteer opportunities?
Volunteer application is on our website under contact us. http://www.icureafoundation.org
For sponsorship, we can be reached through our email info@icureafoundation.org
Or fill out the contact us form on our website
