Members of the Coudersport Rotary Club learned how local generosity continues to strengthen healthcare throughout the region during the club’s July 27, 2026, meeting at the A&W West End Grill.

Rotarian Ronnie B. recently remarked during a Rotary officers meeting that she had no idea how many programs and services are supported by the Cole Foundation after President Andrea Streich shared examples of the organization’s work. That conversation prompted the club to invite Streich, Executive Director of the Cole Foundation, to speak about the foundation’s mission and impact. Streich will celebrate ten years as Executive Director this September.

A lifelong Coudersport resident, Streich is the daughter of Wic Furman, a past president of the Coudersport Rotary Club. After graduating from Penn State University, she married her husband, Jason, and together they have five children and two grandchildren. Before joining the Cole Foundation, Streich spent 15 years serving as Director of Education for St. Eulalia Catholic Church in Coudersport and St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Port Allegany. While fundraising was one aspect of her work, she said her primary mission was helping develop trustworthy, conscientious, and respectful individuals who would strengthen the community.

Streich explained that in the early 2000s, leaders at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital recognized that the hospital would eventually need to merge with a larger healthcare system to remain viable. To ensure that charitable donations intended to support local healthcare would continue benefiting the region after that transition, the Cole Foundation was established in 2012.

Today, the Cole Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to supporting Charles Cole Memorial Hospital, doing business as UPMC Cole. Governed by its own Board of Directors and bylaws, the foundation works to identify the hospital’s greatest needs while connecting generous donors with meaningful opportunities to improve patient care. Board members represent communities served by UPMC Cole, including Coudersport, Port Allegany, Smethport, Ulysses, and Galeton.

“The foundation exists to keep local gifts local,” Streich explained. “Every donation made through the Cole Foundation stays here to benefit our hospital and our communities.”

She emphasized that strong community support is essential to preserving healthcare services in rural areas. Without local investment, residents would be forced to travel significant distances for specialized care. Community donations have helped maintain services such as those offered through the Hillman Cancer Center, allowing cancer patients to receive life-saving treatments close to home.

As Executive Director, Streich works to match donor contributions with the hospital’s most pressing needs. The foundation hosts four major fundraising events each year: its annual Golf Tournament on August 9, Light Up a Life, Operation Appreciation, and its Gala scheduled for September 12.

By law, the Cole Foundation distributes at least 4.5 percent of its three-year rolling average of assets back to UPMC Cole each year. In 2025, that amounted to $135,870. The largest single purchase was an $82,685 pulmonary function testing machine for the Respiratory Department, allowing patients to receive specialized testing locally rather than traveling elsewhere.

Since its founding, the foundation has helped fund numerous improvements, including the expansion of the Emergency Department, Rural Health Care Clinics, and Cole’s dental practice.

During 2025 alone, the Cole Foundation supported weekly exercise programs for Cole Manor residents; purchased pediatric cholesterol testing devices; funded hospice comfort bags for families and tribute programs honoring veterans and nurses at the end of life; renovated resident physician housing; supplied breast cancer handbooks for newly diagnosed patients; provided clothing for Emergency Department patients needing to be discharged with dignity; funded staff appreciation events; distributed daily newspapers throughout the hospital; made devotional materials available for patients, visitors, and staff; and restored the historic portraits of Charles Cole and Edith Irwin.

This year’s largest investment has been the purchase of a SimMan, an advanced medical simulation manikin that allows healthcare professionals to practice complex patient care scenarios in a realistic but controlled environment. The foundation also hosted Employee Appreciation Days in March, offering massages and facials to hospital staff. More than 151 employees participated, reflecting the foundation’s commitment to supporting employee wellness and retention.

Streich concluded by reaffirming that the Cole Foundation’s mission remains unchanged.

“The Cole Foundation will continue to exist solely to support UPMC Cole and this region,” she said. “Every local gift and grant remains here, preserving Charles Cole’s legacy while helping ensure that our hospital continues to provide modern, high-quality healthcare for generations to come.”

The Coudersport Rotary Club thanks Andrea for an informative and inspiring presentation and for her continued service to the community.