When it comes to giving back to their community, the Clinical Ladder Committee of Memorial Regional Hospital South in Hollywood tends to think outside of the box to make a difference. The team, comprised of more than 20 registered nurse leaders in their respective fields and specialty areas, departed from that approach for a good cause – the homeless in Broward County.

 

In an effort to bring much needed supplies to the homeless they joined the United Way in what is called the Shoebox Project.

 

The team banded together to collect and assemble more than 100 shoe boxes, collected hundreds of items and packaged them for the project. Focusing their efforts on the less fortunate, they put their hearts into each shoe box by conducting a hospital-wide collection for items, and personally decorating each care package. Items collected were dozens of basic essentials including prepaid phone cards, toiletries, socks, first aid supplies and much more.

 

“The shoeboxes are distributed to vulnerable members of the community to help with their personal care needs,” said Valarie Grumme, PhD, RN, CCRN, Director of Education at Memorial Regional Hospital South. “The response from the hospital units was overwhelming.”

 

Hazel Selorio, RN III, Clinical Ladder Chairperson, presented this project to the committee earlier this spring and the idea was met with unanimous response.

 

“As soon as we saw the flyer from United Way about this project we were fired up and motivated to take on the task," said Seloria.

 

Selorio and the RN Clinical Ladder Committee went unit-to-unit to promote Project Shoebox as a way to help those in need in our local community. Initially, the Clinical Ladder Committee hoped to receive 30 to 50 shoeboxes to present to United Way. There were 108 boxes assembled with a personal touch from each of the nurses by the end of March.