A dollar from every nurse....

-jt · Dec 11, 2003

Nurses House Issues State-to-State Challenge!

A dollar from every nurse...

for Nurses House - a national fund for nurses in need.

When hardship strikes, it is especially difficult for those of us accustomed to giving care to seek support from others. To help nurses in need, Nurses House extends short term financial assistance to registered nurses in difficulty as a result of injury, illness or disability.

Nurses House is calling on 2.5 million American nurses to give ONE dollar each to a worthwhile cause.

Nurses House depends on donations to provide short-term financial assistance to Registered Nurses who find themselves in crisis due to injury, illness, or disability. During the past three years, the unprecedented numbers of nurses in need have put an enormous strain on this valuable resource, according to Nurses House Executive Director Susan Fraley, a former NYSNA president.

Last year, Nurses House made more than $100,000 in grants to 127 nurses. Due to current shortfalls, Nurses House has been unable to serve all of this year's qualified applicants, Fraley says. As of November 2003, Nurses House has provided assistance to fewer than half of the nurses who have applied and qualified for assistance. "This year, we have only been able to give slightly over $50,000 to our colleagues in trouble," Fraley says. "Over the last three years, Nurses House has provided more than $400,000 in support to those in desperate, even dire, circumstances."

Nurses House's Service Program Council is currently reviewing 15 of the most urgent applications and there is a backlog of 45 applicants. "We receive an average of five inquiries per day and although all five don't always meet the requirements, the increase in need is clearly demonstrated," Fraley says. "More nurses are in need than ever before and Nurses House needs help to meet this need."

"If every nurse in this country gave ONE dollar, Nurses House would receive over $2.5 million to assist our colleagues! In New York State alone-the headquarters state-almost a quarter of a million dollars would be raised," Fraley says.

"The Dolphin, the symbol for Nurses House, represents the kind and gentle creatures who saved sailors who fell from ships in centuries past and returned them to the safety of their boats and ships. We need to offer the same kind of caring and rescue to our nurse colleagues."

What can you do to make this work? Spread the word! "Use every opportunity to tell nurses about this campaign. Pass the hat (or the cap) at every gathering of nurses," Fraley says.

Send the proceeds to Nurses House, Inc., VMD Center for Nursing, 2113 Western Avenue, Suite 2, Guilderland, NY 12084, indicating that which city and state the donation was generated in.

Donations are tax-deductible.

This state-to-state challenge campaign will continue until October 2004. A report of results will be available on the Nurses House Web site (http://www.NursesHouse.org) in April 2004 and will be published in the spring issue of the Dolphin, the Nurses House newsletter. Final results will be announced in October 2004.

Pass this on and help Nurses House help nurses....

For additional information,

see: http://www.nurseshouse.org/

e-mail: [email protected]

call: 518.456.7858.

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New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)

REPORT: December 2003