UNEXPECTED BILLS can be crippling for South Dakota families who don’t have funds readily available. But Horizon Health Care’s Employee Emergency Fund provides a safety net that helps staff members navigate those stressful situations.
Heidi Tobin, who works as Horizon Health Care’s human resources assistant in Howard, had just given birth to a little boy. As she and her boyfriend, Kyle Hapney, worked to pay the medical bills, her car began having problems. “It was going to be a $1,200 repair and they needed most of that money before I could take my car off the lot,” Tobin says.
So, she turned to the Employee Emergency Fund, maintained through the support of the Horizon Health Foundation and other donations. Any full- or part-time employee of Horizon Health Care who has been employed for at least six months and faces a time of unexpected financial hardship is eligible to apply for $500.
“That gave me a good portion of my car payment,” says Tobin, who has been with Horizon for nearly five years. “It was a big relief. I am definitely one of those South Dakotans who don’t like to ask for help. It was a big step for me, but it’s just a relief to know that it’s out there when we need it. I’m grateful.”
In 2020, the Horizon Health Foundation awarded $11,500 from its Employee Emergency Fund to 23 employees.