MENASHA — A $5,000 donation from Community First Credit Union — and $2,500 in individual donations — have helped match funding that will create a nursing position next year at the Fox Cities Community Health Center.

The R.N. position will administer the Community Emergency Drug Fund, established in April 2007 to assist low-income patients in getting needed prescription medication, through drug samples, low-cost generics or vouchers to purchase prescriptions.

The John J. and Ethel D. Keller Donor-Advised Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region established a $25,000 matching grant for the position earlier this year, after the center reported a sharp increase in patients who sought the help of the drug fund. The deadline for matching the grant — originally, Tuesday — was extended to Dec. 15, after donations failed to meet half of the goal.

The Community First contribution, announced Friday, capped a week of more than $17,500 in donations to match the Keller grant.

"This grant makes it possible for the health center to continue to help people in need," said Cathie Tierney, Community First's president and CEO. "On behalf of our member-owners, we're proud to partner with the J. J. Keller Foundation, The Post-Crescent and other caring contributors in making a difference in our community."

Before the Keller Donor-Advised Fund's matching grant, the J. J. Keller Foundation had donated another $25,000 for the clinic.

"The Kellers are thrilled that other funders understand the importance of this program to our community — not just to needy people in our area, but truly to the dynamics and inner workings of our community," said Mary Harp-Jirschele, executive director of the Keller Foundation.

When the fund launched, it served a daily average of three patients. Today, almost four times that many patients seek the fund's assistance, straining the time of the center's only full-time nurse.

Kristene Stacker, executive director of the center, said funding of the nursing position "speaks to this community's innovative efforts to lower the cost of health care by looking at ways to improve broken or fragmented areas and looking at cost-effectiveness."

More than 3,000 patients of the Community Health Center and other Fox Valley health care providers have been assisted by the fund, which was established by a $10,000 grant from the John and Sally Mielke Family Fund within the Community Foundation.

Last Sunday, in a column by P-C executive editor Dan Flannery, The P-C announced it would contribute $5,000 from its Community Fund to help meet the need.

Navitus Health Systems, a Madison-based pharmaceutical benefits management firm with offices in Appleton, announced early last week that it also would donate $5,000.

More than $10,000 was donated earlier in the matching campaign.

The Fox Cities Community Health Center is housed in the Goodwill Community Center, 1814 N. Appleton Road, Menasha.