The

Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children- WWU

Media Kit


Morgan Ramsey, Anna Goad, Stuart Kruidenier

Media Backgrounder
Frequently Asked Questions
Feature Story Pitch
Logo with Tagline
Photos

Foundation for International

Medical Relief of
Children-WWU

MEDIA BACKGROUNDER

Press Contact: Erin Aldag

fimrcwwu@gmail.com/ (719) 289-8997

Overview:
The Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children is a
nonprofit organization, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania They focus on eight countries; Costa Rica, Dominican Republic,
El Salvador, India, Nicaragua, Peru, and Uganda to get access to healthcare
and educate the communities in preventative health.
The FIMRC of Western Washington University is an Associated
Students club, founded in Fall 2014 that supports FIMRC and uses their
resources on campus to spread awareness to the Western community and
Whatcom County.
Their mission is to continue to spread awareness about the lack of
healthcare around the world and to fundraise for the cause. Westerns
FIMRC consists of 5 officers and about 25-35 volunteers. The meeting is held
every Thursday at 6 p.m. in Miller Hall 105.

Current activities:
Westerns FIMRC previously partnered with the pre-med, biology, and
chemistry clubs at Western to spread awareness about Westerns FIMRC and
how they help local children around campus. Because Westerns FIMRC is a
new club at Western, their focus now is to bring new members to the club and
brainstorm new ideas to volunteer and fundraise around the community. Two
upcoming events are currently being planned:
Trivia Wack Funrasiser Trivia Night- April 2015
Clothing Drive- Spring 2015
Science of You boys and girls club- May 2015
Blood Drive on Westerns campus- October 13, 14, 15 2015
Girls on the Run- Nov 23, 2015

Facts:
Local
Many majors at Western require/advise students to have an
experience or internship to aid interviews and job opportunities. Such
majors include; Behavioral Neuroscience, BA, Biochemistry, Biology,
Community Health, BS, Psychology, BS, are majors that offer healthrelated majors at Western (Western Washington University)
Western Washington University provides about 33 abroad programs,
including Study Abroad, Internship, and Teach abroad programs in 25
countries. (Study Abroad Reviews)
One of the top five most popular majors for 2014 graduates from
Western is Health Professions and related programs (6%). (U.S.
News)
National Stats- Value of Student Volunteerism
University officials and employers almost universally stated that
experiencing an internship sets a student apart from his or her peers
even more. (U.S News)
25% higher starting salaries: thats how much more study abroad
students earn than those college graduates who do not study abroad.
(UCMERCED)
90% of study abroad alumni who applied got into their 1 or 2 choice
grad school. (UCMERCED)
University officials and employers almost universally maintain that
partaking in an internship, or several, which sets a students apart
from his or her peers even more-before graduation is integral to finding
meaningful employment in todays seemingly impenetrable job
market. (Burnsed, 2010)
Pre-med students who are productively engaged during the summer
months have an advantage during the medical school application
process, says Liza Thompson, a medical school admissions consultant
and former director of both the Johns Hopkins University and Goucher
College Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Programs. (USA Today)
st

nd

International- Health Care Needs

About one third of all child deaths are related to malnutrition. (WHO)
Children in developing countries are ten times more likely to die
before the age of five than children in developed countries. (WHO)
About 80% of healthcare in developing countries occurs in the homeand the majority of children who die do so at home, without being seen
by a health worker. (UNICEF)

40% of child deaths could be prevented with improved family and

community care not high-tech health equipment, but access to solid
knowledge, support and basic supplies. (UNICEF)

Short Bios:
Erin Aldag - President
Erin Aldag is the president and AS Relations Chair of Westerns FIMRC. She
is currently a senior Biochemistry major at Western. She volunteered at
FIMRC last year for two weeks and, coming back to Western, the
organization urged her to create this club. She recommended her friends to
join FIMRC as well, including the Community Outreach Chair, Madalyn
Payne, and soon decided that fundraising and volunteering in the Western
community could help get the word out for FIMRC. Contact information:
(719) 289-8997

Madalyn Payne Community Outreach Chair

Madalyn Payne is the Community Outreach Chair of Westerns FIMRC, as
well as a senior biochemistry major at Western. She has been involved with
the club with Erin Aldag, the president of Westerns FIMRC, in hopes to
make a difference for the organization. Contact information: (360) 241-7856

Boilerplate:
The Foundation for International Medical Relief for Children at
Western Washington University, Westerns FIMRC, an Associated Students
club and chapter of the national nonprofit, was founded in 2014 by Erin
Aldag at Western. Its goal is to spread awareness of the organization, hold
fundraisers within the community and send what they earned to FIMRC,
headquartered in Philadelphia. Westerns FIMRC has 5 official officers, but
includes approximately 15-25 volunteers within the club. The current club
president is Erin Aldag. For more information, visit their orgsync page at:
https://orgsync.com/106733/chapter

Sources:
Burnsed, Brian. "Degrees Are Great, but Internships Make a Difference." US
News and World Report. Last modified April 15, 2010. Accessed November 1,
2015. http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2010/04/15/when-a-degreeisnt-enough.
"Child Mortality." The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health.
Last modified September 2011. Accessed November 1, 2015.
http://www.who.int/pmnch/media/press_materials/fs/fs_mdg4_childmortality/
en/.
"Majors." Western Washington University. Accessed November 1, 2015.
http://www.wwu.edu/majors/.
Ramani, Neha. "5 Ways Pre-Med Students Can Spend the Summer." USA
Today. Last modified April 7, 2014. Accessed November 1, 2015.
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/04/07/5-WAYS-PRE-MED-STUDENTSCAN-SPEND-THE-SUMMER/.
"Western Washington University." US News and World Report. Accessed
November 1, 2015. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/bestcolleges/western-washington-3802/academics.
"What Statistics Show about Study Abroad Students." UC Merced. Accessed
October 12, 2015. http://studyabroad.ucmerced.edu/study-abroadstatistics/statistics-study-abroad.

Foundation for International

Medical Relief of
Children-WWU

TOP TEN FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. What is the Foundation for International Medical Relief of

Children (FIMRC)?
FIMRC is a non-profit group that is located in developing countries around
the world. They seek to provide medical care for children in impoverished
areas. The organization is composed of wide range of people, from medical
professionals to students. For more information, visit their website.
2. What is the purpose of FIMRC-WWU?
FIMRC-WWU is a chapter of the Foundation for International Medical Relief
of Children. Our mission is to bring healthcare to developing countries as
well as locally in Whatcom County. The World Health Organization cites that
each year, 18.7 million children do not receive basic vaccinations. FIMRC
aims to bring healthcare to all corners of the globe.
3. What types of activities has FIMRC-WWU been involved in?
We hold fundraisers to donate to the organization and participate in local
events that focus on health. We have conducted events such as trivia nights
aimed to raise money for FIMRC. Below is a list of events that the club has
held:
Trivia Wack Fundraiser Trivia Night April 2015
Clothing Drive Spring 2015
Science of You- May 2015
Boys and Girls Club Visit day May 2015
Girls on the Run 5k- October 2015
4. Why is this group right for me?
As a member of this chapter, you will have the opportunity to gain experience
in areas such as event planning and community outreach, while working with
like-minded individuals to support a great organization. The opportunity to
travel abroad and volunteer at one of FIMRCs sites is open to everyone. It is
also possible to receive academic credit for trips abroad with FIMRC.
5. Is there a joining fee?
There is no fee. Our events, meetings and community outreach are funded by

the Associated Students. The only club-related activity students have to pay
for is if you choose to go abroad with FIMRC.
6. What kinds of extra curricular time commitments should I
expect?
Meetings are every Thursdays of the week, at 6 p.m. However putting
fundraisers and attending different events will require you to participate.
During those meetings, we brainstorm fundraising ideas and ways to get
more involved locally.
7. Who is involved in the club?
The majority of members in the WWU chapter are pre-med majors, but the
club is welcome to anyone interested. The benefits of joining apply to
everyone and students of all different majors are encouraged to join.
8. How many members are in FIMRC-WWU?
Typically, we have about 15 students, but our goal is to increase participation
to 25-35 new members.
9) How long has FIMRC been at WWU?
FIMRC was brought to WWU in the Fall of 2014 by Erin Aldag, who is
currently the chapters president. Aldag was inspired to bring the club to
Western after going to Peru to volunteer at one of the organizations sites.
FIMRC was founded in 2002 and is based in Philadelphia.
10. Where can I learn more?
We have a Facebook page that is regularly update and can be found by
searching FIMRC-WWU. For more information about FIMRC itself, go to
fimrc.org.

Foundation for International

Medical Relief of
Children-WWU
FEATURE PITCH TO THE WESTERN FRONT

RE: WESTERN STUDENT VOLUNTEERS IN PERU- FEATURE PITCH

Dear Stephanie Bishop and Heidi DeHart,
Western Washington University senior, Erin Aldag, was lead to a
Peruvian hospital via a Google search.
Aldag, a Biochemistry major, travelled to Peru in the summer of 2014
through the nonprofit organization Foundation for International Medical
Relief of Children (FIMRC). Aldag, a pre-med student and aspiring doctor,
knew she wanted to volunteer at a medical facility abroad. FIMRC stood out
to Aldag because the mission of the organization aligned with Aldags
interests in working with kids and global health. After volunteering in Peru,
Aldag felt inspired to bring a chapter of FIMRC to Westerns campus. In the
Fall of 2014, FIMRC-WWU became the organizations first chapter in
Washington state.
FIMRC-WWU is relevant to Western because the club serves as an
opportunity for students who are interested in contributing to the community
while reaching beyond borders. Students have the chance to join a club that
is new not only to Western, but the state as well. FIMRC is a place for selfdevelopment while helping children all over the world and gaining real world
experience. The club is beneficial to students of all fields and has something
to offer everyone, from pre-med students to dance majors.
Madalyn Payne, the vice president of FIMRC-WWU, would be a great
interviewee. Aldag enlisted Payne to help bring the club to Western after her
trip to Peru. Together, Aldag and Payne started the chapter through the AS
and have been orchestrating the clubs activities ever since. Another potential
interviewee is Nicola Langan, the treasurer of the club. Nicola has been
involved with FIMRC-WWU from the start and can provide insight.
Aldag started FIMRC-WWU because of her passion for helping others
and her belief that involvement in a club like FIMRC can create a positive
change. Western is known for being an active campus in social programs like
the Peace Corps. FIMRC-WWU is another opportunity for Western students
to help improve the quality of life for others while participating in an

enriching experience. For more information, contact Erin Aldag at

erin.aldag@wwu.edu.
Thank you,
Anna Goad
253-583-4890

Foundation for International

Medical Relief of
Children-WWU
LOGO WITH TAGLINE

Giving back is the

best medicine

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Foundation for International

Medical Relief of
Children-WWU
Photos of FIMRC-WWU

Photo taken by Erin Aldag, during FIMRC-WWUs Girls on the Runvolunteering event.

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FIMRC-WWUs volunteer group during the Girls on the Run marathon.

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