For people in rural communities, medical emergencies come with extra challenges.
Say you live in Hoven, SD, for instance, a town of 366 residents located in the north central part of the state. And say you wake in the middle of the night with chest pains. Without a local first responder team, your wait for an ambulance from a nearby hospital could reach an hour. “In a true emergent situation, it’s so critical to have that ambulance right here,” says Jennifer Kaiser, ambulance director for the Hoven Ambulance, a volunteer crew. “If someone had to wait, it could be 40 minutes or more, and that’s a matter of life and death.”
With these kinds of scenarios a reality in a rural state like South Dakota, Venture Communications has stepped up to make donations to volunteer first responder crews in both Hoven and Rosholt, using funding from its Community Giving Program.
“Our customers have always been great to us,” says Mary Knox, Venture Marketing Manager. “We have always been a part of their communities. This is a bigger way to be a part of it.”
Venture, a SDN Communications member company, is based in Highmore and covers about 15% of the state. The company’s services include internet, cellular and television streaming services.
The Community Giving Program was founded a year ago with the intention of doing just that — giving back to the community, says Tom Wagner, a member of the Venture Communications Board representing his community of Rosholt. The program focuses on specific areas of giving — community projects, educational enhancements and recreational activities. By empowering individuals and organizations to make a difference, Venture believes that collectively, a brighter future can be built.
Wagner says the program makes donations large and small in the communities served by Venture. Sometimes, the donations are minor — for instance, helping out a local prom event. Sometimes the donations are more significant. In the year since the program kicked off, it has made donations toward a range of community projects, including a veterans memorial, a community center, a swimming pool and a baseball diamond.
“To give back to all the communities is, I think, great,” Wagner says.
Earlier this year, the program made a $5,000 donation to the Hoven Ambulance to help them purchase a new ambulance. “It shows that they understand the importance of the ambulance services,” says Kaiser. “It’s very important to our community.”
Wagner lives in Rosholt, a town of about 400 residents located in the far northeast corner of the state. Like so many rural communities, the nearest large city with a hospital sits 80 miles away.
In years past, Rosholt had an ambulance service but a series of events forced its closure. About five months ago, a group of citizens came together to address the issue. They formed the nonprofit, volunteer Rosholt First Responders.
While they had a crew of trained volunteer EMTs, they did not have any supplies or equipment, a necessity for providing first responder services. That’s where the Community Giving Program stepped in, donating $10,000 to help with startup expenses and a new vehicle.
Wagner thinks both the Hoven and Rosholt donations are especially important. Medical services in rural communities are often scarce. Without help, many of the volunteer crews couldn’t do what they do. “They give up a lot to do this,” Wagner says of the volunteer crew in Rosholt. “It’s important that we support them.”
Kaiser says the donation to the Hoven Ambulance has a significant impact on the community and its residents. “We’re very grateful for what they gave and for showing their support for us,” Kaiser says. “It shows they believe in us.”
To learn more about the Venture Communications Community Giving Program, visit their website.
