Ambulance Merger Means Changes with Annual Subscription Campaigns
Submitted Press Release
SHENANDOAH – In April of 2017, public notice was given to announce that both the Lost Creek Community Ambulance Association and the Ringtown Community Ambulance Association, Inc. would be merging into the Shenandoah Community Ambulance Association. The merger remains on target for an August 1, 2017 completion. As indicated by the public notice, the only surviving entity post-merger will be the Shenandoah Community Ambulance Association. The other two agencies will dissolve.
The officers of all three agencies have worked long and hard through the merger process to be sure everything that was done and every decision that was made was in the best interest of their respective communities. While the Lost Creek and Ringtown Community Ambulance Associations have had declining membership over the last decade, the remaining active members have done their best to maintain service to their communities and uphold the integrity and pride passed down from their founders. Emergency Services tends to be a family business and these organizations like many others operated by multiple generations of the same family.
In anticipation of the August 1, 2017 merger date, all organizational officers began looking at their annual subscription campaigns and determining what would be in the best interest of the residents they currently served. It was determined that since these residents will be served by Shenandoah Community Ambulance Association post-merger, it was best to determine how to conduct one drive. The Shenandoah Community Ambulance has operated on an annual subscription campaign that begins July 1st each year and concludes June 30th of the following year. With the 2017-2018 campaign ready to hit mailboxes July 1st, it seemed practical to bring all the communities under the one drive.
Lost Creek Community Ambulance Association generally operated on a subscription campaign that ran from August to July annually. Residents previously covered by that subscription campaign will now receive a Shenandoah Ambulance subscription card with coverage beginning July 1, 2017 and will no longer receive subscription requests from the Lost Creek Ambulance. This includes everyone residing in the villages of Lost Creek, William Penn, and Raven Run.
Ringtown Community Ambulance Association, Inc. has conducted its annual subscription campaign via the Ringtown Community Fund. The Ringtown Community Fund conducts an annual appeal whereby fifty percent of all money raised was disbursed to the ambulance association. The remaining fifty percent collected annually was disbursed to a variety of other non-=profit associations that operate within the Ringtown Community or supports community residents in some way. The Board of the Ringtown Community Fund has been in meetings with both the Shenandoah and Ringtown Ambulance Boards and agreed that it is in everyone’s best interest to separate the ambulance campaign from the Community Fund. Beginning this fall, the Ringtown Community Fund will conduct its annual campaign exclusive of the ambulance associations and therefore will disperse funds to all the same organizations they have supported in the past. The residents in Ringtown and Zion Grove will receive an ambulance subscription from the Shenandoah Community Ambulance for coverage beginning July 1, 2017.
Additionally, due to the unfortunate closing of the Nuremburg Community Ambulance at the end of 2016, the Shenandoah Community Ambulance Association has been the designated primary ambulance service provider to Nuremburg and Weston and therefore those residents will also receive the subscription campaign beginning July 1, 2017.
The Shenandoah Community Ambulance Association would also like to publicly announce the establishment of a “Truck Replacement Fund”. Through the merger process, the Shenandoah Ambulance Board of Directors really wanted to be sure to find ways to keep traditions and honor those who have worked so hard to establish and maintain these organizations. Through the Ringtown Community Fund, part of the ambulance association’s annual disbursement was set aside to ensure that whenever Ringtown Ambulance would need to buy a new truck they would always have the funds to do so. This ensured the residents donating annually that they would always have an ambulance. This concept was extremely attractive to the Shenandoah Ambulance Board and therefore the Board of Directors has committed to taking $5,000.00 each year from the annual subscription campaign and placing these funds into the “Truck Replacement Fund”. To the residents of Ringtown and donors to the Ringtown Community Fund, be assured that the current Ringtown Truck Replacement Fund money will be maintained for that exact purpose. Discussions have been held with Ringtown Ambulance members about the desire to see the next truck purchased with the Ringtown Truck Replacement Funds to be another four-wheel drive to ensure crews can get around with ease during the harsh winter weather.
The 2017-2018 Subscription Campaign will be disbursed through Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) system which will allow for every mailing address (including PO Boxes) to receive the subscription mailer. This is based on zip code and with the extended coverage area, mailings will be sent to all addresses located within the following zip codes: 17976, 17967, 17946, 17985, 18256, and 18241. This mailing will consist of 5,306 pieces. Residents should anticipate receiving their mailer within the first few days of July. Anyone who does not receive the subscription campaign or needs an additional card can visit our website at www.shenems.org or by contacting our station at 570-462-0500. Please note that our subscription campaign is not sent to nursing home residents, therefore anyone wishing to enroll their family member in the campaign should contact Shenandoah Ambulance for a card.
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