How Alpha Phi Foundation Fueled Lifesaving Bystander Intervention: Checking in with Missouri CARES Heart Squad
Checking in with the recipient of Alpha Phi Foundation’s inaugural Heart to Heart Community Grant recipient and why YOUR support matters.
For over 75 years, Alpha Phi’s commitment to promoting advancements in women’s cardiac care has never wavered. What began with collegiate chapters selling lollipops on campus to raise “Cardiac Aid” funds has evolved into a powerhouse of national philanthropic impact. Historically, our efforts centered on funding cutting-edge clinical research. However, recognizing that the battle against heart disease requires both medical breakthroughs and community action, Alpha Phi Foundation expanded the scope of its flagship Heart to Heart Grant program.
In 2024, the Foundation created a brand-new arm of eligibility: the Heart to Heart Community Grant. This pivotal expansion allows us to directly fund educational resources and grassroots programming, specifically in underserved and vulnerable areas.
The inaugural recipient of this $25,000 grant, the University of Missouri’s Missouri CARES Heart Squad, has beautifully demonstrated just how powerful community-focused philanthropy can be.
Why the “Heart Squad” Matters: Breaking Barriers in Women’s Health
When sudden cardiac arrest occurs, death can take place within a matter of four to six minutes. In those high-stakes moments, high-quality bystander CPR is the definitive line between life and death. Yet, the data reveals a stark, gender-based disparity: according to the Missouri Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES), only 13% of females in Missouri receive bystander CPR during a cardiac event.
Why is this number so devastatingly low? Research shows that bystanders often hesitate to perform CPR on women due to a fear of risking injury or facing accusations of sexual assault. Furthermore, community members frequently cite that they simply do not know how to correctly place their hands on a woman’s chest or feel that it is socially inappropriate to do so.
Led by emergency medicine professionals Dr. Julie Stilley and Kayla Riel, the Missouri CARES Heart Squad set out to dismantle these specific, gender-based barriers by normalizing and teaching hands-only CPR tailored to saving women’s lives.
Cultivating Success through Foundation Partnership
The $25,000 investment from Alpha Phi Foundation served as the critical catalyst the Heart Squad needed to bring this vision to life. Through the funding, the project purchased a specialized fleet of anatomically correct female training manikins. These manikins have transformed public training sessions by providing a realistic, respectful, and direct way for community members to practice lifesaving techniques.
The impact of this grant extended far beyond purchasing equipment; it fostered a deep operational partnership with our local sisterhood. The project established a dedicated internship for an Alpha Phi student to help engage the wider campus and the Panhellenic Association. Today, nearly 100 students – the majority of whom are women, including many proud members of our Omicron Chapter at the University of Missouri – have been trained to lead, educate, and empower their community.
“With the generous support of Alpha Phi Foundation and its donors, hundreds of Missourians have received lifesaving bystander CPR training… The Heart Squad will sustain its hands-only CPR curriculum at the University of Missouri, community efforts, and advocacy for women’s heart health long after the grant period.” — Dr. Julie Stilley & Kayla Riel, Missouri CARES Heart Squad
The Power of Bystander Intervention in Action
The true measure of this project’s success is found in the lives it touches. In a community event hosted in tandem with the project leaders, the real-world weight of this work was brought into sharp focus.
The Foundation joined the Heart Squad in welcoming sudden cardiac arrest survivor Donna Pond and her rescuer, Daphne Ingebritson. Pond, who unexpectedly lost consciousness and was pulseless for 20 minutes, survived because of her colleague’s immediate bystander intervention. Together, they were presented with the Best Friend Save Award, serving as an inspiring, living testament to why public education matters.
Our Foundation Board of Directors and generous donors are immensely proud to see how this inaugural community grant has expanded its reach into rural neighborhoods, established vital partnerships with local EMS agencies, and removed systemic barriers to emergency cardiac care.
By investing in the Missouri CARES Heart Squad, Alpha Phi Foundation has underscored its core belief: advancing women’s lives through philanthropy means ensuring that our communities are equipped, educated, and ready to protect a woman’s heartbeat when it matters most.