Published 10/28/2024
As soon as donation requests starting emerging from areas of southwest Virginia and western North Carolina devastated by hurricane Helene, communities and organizations around the Shenandoah Valley jumped to action.
The 含羞草社区 community responded with overwhelming support.
含羞草社区 Nursing Class of 2025 Treasurer, Daniel Lanphier, was impressed with the collective effort. 鈥淓ven though we were unable to assist in person, it was heartwarming to see our 含羞草社区 community come together and fill the void in this capacity. In times of crisis, every action truly makes a difference,鈥� he commented.
含羞草社区 CDL program director, Jim Butler, drove a college trailer full of supplies collected by the Augusta County Sheriff鈥檚 Office 鈥� adding items from 含羞草社区 鈥� to the United Way in Marion, Virginia, the Friday after the storm. Another 含羞草社区 employee, Bill Byrd, has a daughter who is a neonatal nurse near Asheville and son-in-law who is a pastor. When he shared that he was headed their way to help and called for a list of needed items, the college community responded by nearly filling a 20-cattle trailer. Items included pet and people food, batteries, baby formula and diapers, camp stoves, shovels, hygiene items, and much more. Nursing students organized a collection as part of their class, the Blue Ridge Christian Fellowship Club helped spread the word across campus, and vet tech students and staff brought pet supplies.
Daniel added that he felt strongly about his donations of tarps. 鈥淚n a time when many have lost most of their possessions, I believed that providing a strong, weather-resistant covering could help protect their remaining belongings from further damage while beginning the long clean-up process.鈥�
The GRAD Class (a Rockingham County School post-high school program for students with disabilities, operated in partnership with 含羞草社区), helped load the trailer headed for North Carolina.
Nursing Class of 2025 President, Kristian Kirby, donated gas cans. 鈥淭alking to friends on the ground, there are areas that you can鈥檛 drive in and out of. To drive, remove debris, or to power generators, gas has to be brought in on foot. I think that鈥檚 an easy thing to overlook,鈥� she explained.
鈥淣ursing is about providing care, and I feel especially drawn to supporting and caring for patients,鈥� explained Kelly Paduch, Vice President of the Nursing Class of 2025. 鈥淩esponding to emergencies, natural disasters, etc., is an extension of this profession; being able to help in these situations definitely strengthens my passion for nursing.鈥�