Geraldo's Hope Fund Testimony

Geraldo Class had never been the kind to ask for help—if anything, having been an advocate for assaulted women at his church, people came to him for help. But when a family passing—and then his own injury—came unexpectedly, Geraldo learned he could lean on the Hope Fund at AdventHealth.

The Hope Fund was created to support AdventHealth employees who are undergoing sudden and unexpected financial crisis through no fault of their own; the fund is made possible by the generosity of AdventHealth team members, “Generosity Champions,” and AdventHealth hospital.

In 2023, Geraldo was blindsided by the passing of his brother. In the middle of the process of trying to buy a home, Geraldo was hit with the realization that he’d need to use that money for travel and funeral expenses. Once he returned home, he found himself pinching pennies and struggling to get by—not being the kind to ask for help, Geraldo’s supervisor and coworkers encouraged him to apply to the Hope Fund. They printed out the forms and helped him fill them out, and thankfully, Geraldo was able to receive assistance.

Only months later, Geraldo suffered a back injury and even temporarily became partially paralyzed from the waist down. The pain had become unbearable: “My family always joked that I’m the rock of the family, that I never cry. But rocks do crack, and that was my breaking point.” He learned he had a bulged disc that was putting pressure on his spine and even pinching the root nerve—Geraldo was forced to miss work as he recovered. Then, when his wife went into AFib and had to undergo a hysterectomy to prevent blood loss due to Anemia, he became her caregiver, too.

Then, in early 2025, Geraldo lost another brother. He was once again blindsided, hitting him “all at once, all over again.” He again had to travel and support his family with funeral and burial expenses. On top of the financial burden, Geraldo shared it was incredibly emotionally traumatic, from which he’s still recovering.

Geraldo received assistance through the Hope Fund in all three instances: “the outcome of each request was incredible,” Geraldo shared tearfully. “When I spoke to someone at the Hope Fund, they showed me so much empathy—even over the phone—it had me in tears.” Geraldo sincerely shared how the Hope Fund helped him get back on his feet each time he faced financial crisis.

If you’re an AdventHealth employee and would like to become a Generosity Champion, visit www.generositychampions.com.