Victors for Michigan

Why we give: Victors for Michigan campaign

The mission of the Department of Child and Family Life is to soothe and create an atmosphere of normalcy for children and their families going through life-changing events.

But the department, like many others across the university, needs your help to carry out its mission.

Michigan Medicine community members are asked to support these essential programs through the faculty, staff and retirees portion of the Victors for Michigan giving campaign, which runs through March 31. You can join hundreds of colleagues who contribute by clicking here and then designating a certain U-M or Michigan Medicine department you wish to support directly.

By giving, you’ll join colleagues like Dan Fischer, director of child and family life, spiritual care and community relations at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Dan also serves as the interim director for the Department of Social Work and has been a clinical social worker for more than 30 years.

He said he gives to the campaign to help child and family life and social work deliver comfort to Little Victors and their families in a time of need. The departments provide child life specialists, art and music therapy, education, activities and countless other initiatives to patients across the organization.

“In child and family life and social work, we certainly understand the challenges of children going through health care experiences,” Dan said. “But adults have many of those same challenges too.”

He said that his first-hand glimpse into these difficult times makes it easier to target these programs for giving. But he also emphasized “the value, importance and the need” for faculty, staff and retirees to support areas of the organization they deem most important.

On top of the much-needed financial support colleagues can provide, Dan shared how good it feels to give back.

“I feel very passionately about giving but in the same sense it’s really not about me—it’s about those in need,” Dan said. “And I think that’s what makes me feel good—that I have an opportunity to contribute to help people that are in situations that are less fortunate than mine and are going through experiences that all of us have the potential of facing. I feel it’s my obligation as a staff and faculty member at the university to do all I can to support the great things we do to help others.”

Be a Victor for Michigan. Click here to donate.