School Nursing

The Relentless School Nurse: ‘Moms Who Care’ Because it Does ‘Take a Village’

This week’s guest blog post by “The School Nurse,” Elisabeth Barclay, is a bit of normalcy in a COVID world. There are supportive parent organizations all over the country that support school nurses who are caring for our nation’s children. Moms Who Care (MWC) is one example of an organization that provides clothing and supplies to Elisabeth’s school community.  It feels good to share a positive story, a breath of fresh air, as we approach the beginning of a very uncertain school year. Thank you Elisabeth for sharing this wonderful resource and congratulations on the work that you do for the school nursing community.

 
 

Are you a school nurse who collects stacks of clothes in your office cabinet “just in case”?
Are you a school nurse who keeps a hidden stash of school supplies for students who need them? Are you a school nurse who keeps snacks for certain students you know will be hungry later in the day? Are you a school nurse who desperately wants to help more students meet their essential needs, but feel like you don’t have enough time in the day?

Those statements described The School Nurse nearly eleven years ago!

Then, one crisp fall day in 2009, the future founder of Moms Who Care (MWC)
worked up some courage, called the high school, and asked if there was a staff member who would be interested in receiving gift bags full of hygiene products for students in need?

Thankfully, whoever answered the phone that day transferred the call directly to the school nurse’s office! Little did the caller know, the service she offered was highly needed and we immediately took her up on the generous offer; and so, our village started!

 
At the time (2009) of the call, The School Nurse had a large wooden cabinet in her office 
with curtains hanging on tension rods covering shelves overflowing with clothes, shoes, socks, hygiene products & a few snacks for students who would need them.
 
Now (2020), after offering services for over a decade to thousands of students,
The School Nurse has a committed group of volunteers with the MWC organization who have a large room in the school (with windows) full of clothing displayed on department store style fixtures, and custom shelving units with shoes, hygiene products, snacks, and school supplies! There is also a separate storage room for off-season supplies with an area to sort through donations and organize items. 

All donations are graciously given by generous community members! To say the school nurse’s students are blessed is an understatement.
 
Although the logistics of the program have changed over the years, the Moms Who Care mission has remained the same.

To help students achieve success by meeting essential needs such as:
clothing, hygiene products, school supplies, and after school snacks. 

 

Typically, the students who participate with the MWC program qualify for the free/reduced meal program. However, students are never turned away; there are so many scenarios where a student might benefit from participating in the program and we would never want to deny help to a student who might benefit from the program.
 
Moms Who Care is a program focused on serving the student as a whole person.
The MWC volunteers understand when the basic needs of the student are met, 
then the students are more prepared and ready to learn.

For many years this program has functioned smoothly while students 
attended a traditional in-person school.  Currently, there is new energy felt as we creatively come up with ways to continue the MWC program while our students are learning remotely.  Needless to say, the MWC volunteers and school liaisons are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to serve our students during this difficult and challenging time.

While the mission of Moms Who Care is to help students achieve success by meeting essential needs such as clothing, hygiene products, school supplies, and after school snack we know they do so much more for the students too- more than written words can describe!
 

For More Information Visit the MWC Website here

To Purchase Items & Send Directly to MWC click here

 
       
 
About Diary Of A School Nurse
 
Diary Of A School Nurse was founded in 2011 as a place to write about “what really happens in the nurse’s office”; a place to document and share those unbelievable stories that might someday be turned into a book.  However, over the years, Diary Of A School Nurse has evolved and in addition to sharing HIPAA approved stories it is also a place to write for other school nurses.  A place for other school nurses to get another perspective read about office ideas and paperwork challenges, but mostly a place to feel understood and included in their school nursing journey.  
 
About The Author
Elisabeth is the founder, owner, and main author of Diary Of A School Nurse. She is also the creator and owner of The School Nurse. She enjoys health education and promotion, she is a published author and she is a loyal career school nurse. While her nursing background includes a variety of settings (hospital, home health, health department, and doctor’s office); her true love and passion are within the school setting. 

1 thought on “The Relentless School Nurse: ‘Moms Who Care’ Because it Does ‘Take a Village’”

  1. Robin you find the fantastic people in the universe! Keep it up! School Nurses are the most remarkable people in the world if you ask me!
    Cathy

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