System Nursing Councils Give Back
Our system councils work together on community outreach as an extra means of giving to those in need. Every December our councils organize charitable initiatives to benefit a number of organizations in our region. The Nursing Inclusion Council collected toys for “Karing for Kids”. Our System Professional Practice Council collected gloves, hats and socks for Pittsburgh Mercy’s Operation Safety Net®, an innovative, award-winning medical and social service outreach program for persons who are experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County. The Nursing Leadership Council collected and donated baskets full of toiletries to donate to the local women’s shelters. These baskets were assembled at the meetings for ready-to use/distribution.
Charitable giving by our system councils is not limited to just one time of year. In 2018 and 2019, our System Professional Practice Council organized a charity drive for Family Promise of Southwestern Pa. Their mission is to help homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.
At the Nurses Week Conference, council members collected personal care items like towels, washcloths, soap, body wash, and toothbrushes, kitchen supplies, bedding and blankets, and children’s toys to donate to Family Promise. The response was overwhelming.
The System Professional Practice Council routinely cooks dinners for the residents of Family House, a not-for-profit charitable organization that provides a special “home away from home” for patients and/or their families who are in Pittsburgh seeking medical treatment. By offering convenient, affordable housing in a home-like environment, Family House reduces the emotional and financial stress for people facing a medical crisis in a city where they may be strangers.
While preparing one of these family style dinners, the System Professional Practice Council members noticed the need for a new grill and promptly took up a collection at their hospital based PPC councils and were able to provide Family House with a new grill. These are just a few examples of UPMC nurses making a difference in our communities.