A Family Legacy of Care and Giving

David Ghirardelli, Al Ghirardelli, Dr. Bernie Klein

The story of Providence Holy Cross Medical Center and the name Albert “Al” Ghirardelli go hand in hand. Mr. Ghirardelli has been involved with Holy Cross since its inception more than 50 years ago. In fact, we owe the hospital to this man’s strong leadership and passion for community service.

"Al Ghirardelli recognized the need for a quality hospital in the northeast San Fernando Valley and led an initiative to get the hospital built. Al’s dedication and support of our local hospital has been unwavering,” states Mr. Michael Overing, Providence Holy Cross Foundation board member and Ghirardelli's former law firm partner.

Mr. Ghirardelli’s dedication and contagious enthusiasm for our medical center has permeated to his business associates, community partners and more closely to his family, who have generously supported the hospital throughout the years. Most recently, a very generous donation was made by Al’s late brother Walter Ghirardelli, who remembered Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in his will. Walter Ghirardelli created a bequest benefiting our hospital and after his passing last year, the medical center received $700,000 that helped us complete the Little Miracles Campaign in support of our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). 

The need for quality health care that Al and his contemporaries saw is no smaller today. As society advanced, so has its expectation for quality care delivered both quickly and cost-effectively. Donors can help offset the high costs of care. Philanthropy fills a crucial gap between insurance/government reimbursement and the actual cost of running a hospital, allows implementation of new technologies and modernization of existing care facilities, and provides resources for advanced training of nurses and staff. Naming Holy Cross as a beneficiary in your estate plan will ensure future support for our efforts to provide crucial health care in our community for generations to come.

"We are most grateful for the continued support of the Ghirardelli family and for Walter’s generous estate gift, which is a meaningful vote of confidence in the work being done at Providence Holy Cross. Bequests, large and small, have a significant impact on our medical center," said Joe Ward, Executive Director of Planned Giving. "They are easy to set up and provide an estate tax benefit. Best of all, they create a lasting legacy at an institution that has touched the lives of you and your loved ones."

For more information about all Planned Giving options, please contact Joe Ward, Executive Director, Planned Giving, Providence St. Joseph Health Foundations, Southern California region, at (310) 793-8117 or joseph.ward@providence.org