Dear Friends,
Happy September! This month always reminds me of the start of school and the sharing of stories that occurs in those first few weeks.
We recently had a volunteer stop by the office and share a wonderful update with us. Sometimes in the work we do in education and training, it is hard to see immediate impact. Ellen has the advantage of having traveled consistently to the same site over the last 12 years, where she has worked alongside a remarkable group of nurses in the Special Baby Care Unit. Impressed with one nurse’s skills, Ellen urged her to start teaching. Although she initially demurred, she turns out to be a natural educator; she began teaching in her own hospital and has now branched out to teach at a number of hospitals in the country.
This is the impact one volunteer can have. By encouraging this one nurse in the neonatal unit, so many young babies will have a better start at life. Ellen is already planning her next visit!
As Board Chair Jody Olsen mentioned at HVO’s spring symposium, HVO’s history is a layer of remarkable, enduring stories. Through these stories, we are able to see the impact of our work and the change in people’s lives. As we continue to build on this work and expand HVO's reach, we will share more stories of our impact. I am excited that later this month, HVO will launch
a campaign through Global Giving
- an online fundraising platform that will allow us to share our stories with a broader audience and encourage more people to support global health care. Stay tuned for more details.
In the meantime, as we acknowledge World Physical Therapy Day and World Heart Day, get outdoors and enjoy a long walk.
To those impacted by the horrendous storms in Texas and Louisiana and wildfires in the western United States, our thoughts are with you, and we hope the recovery will be a smooth one.
Sincerely,
Nancy
Nancy A. Kelly, MHS
Executive Director
