Inspired to serve CMH Board member donates $100,000 to expansion project Constance Waisanen has spent her life giving back to others. In May 2023, she became the BuildCMH Expansion Project’s first donor with a gift of $100,000 toward the project. Waisanen has served on the CMH Board of Trustees for 16 years and is a former board president. “I feel like I am blessed to live in one of the best communities on earth,” she explains. “My part of trying to keep that as one of the best communities on earth is the work I do with the Board.” Waisanen is a member of Peace First Lutheran Church, has worked on Habitat for Humanity projects in many countries and has volunteered for the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, among other volunteer work. This summer, she was the admiral’s aide for the Astoria Regatta festival. Family values Growing up, Waisanen was inspired by her parents’ community service. Her grandparents were Finnish Lutheran immigrants. Her father was a farmer, and her mother was a teacher. “Both of them were very active in our community in groups like the 4-H, the PTA, the school board, and our church,” Waisanen says. “I come from a family where we’ve always been dedicated to giving back to our community.” Her father served as chairman of their local Moose Lake, Minnesota, area hospital’s Board of Trustees during its expansion. After graduating from the University of California, Waisanen moved to Knappa, Oregon. For 27 years, she worked as a chemical engineer at the Georgia-Pacific Wauna Mill. Since 2006, she has worked as a financial advisor for Thrivent Financial. Waisanen looks forward to the improvements that CMH’s expanded facility will bring the community. “I can’t even imagine how amazing it will be to have the new facility and be able to keep more people here at home for their treatment,” Waisanen says, noting the importance of local care. “The costs to families to get care elsewhere can be tremendous — paying for things like childcare, gas, time off of work — it all adds up. To have a 15-minute ride home from the hospital and be able to get back into your own bed to recover — that’s priceless. “I was honored to be the first giver to our capital campaign, and I hope you’ll join me.” GIVE TODAY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE To learn more about the BuildCMH Expansion Project or to make a donation, visit columbiamemorial.org/buildcmh-campaign. COLUMBIAMEMORIAL.ORG LATE SUMMER 2024 7
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTI0MzU=