National Nurses United

4 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4 NEWS BRIEFS MINNESOTA A team of duluth registered nurses regularly trades in their stethoscopes for serving spoons as they help feed the homeless and hungry in this northern Minnesota city. Disadvantaged families suffering in the economic downturn are espe- cially appreciative during this coldest winter in decades along the shores of Lake Superior. Nurses prepare food in kitchens donated by United Baptist Church, deliver it to Central Hillside United Ministries (CHUM), and stay to serve meals on Tuesday or Thursday of most weeks. RN Danielle Rodgers, who works at St. Luke's Hospital, often spearheads the effort. "We can help provide for them a very basic service that they greatly need at this time," said Rodgers. "It's cold outside; the cost of food is more expensive every day. And there's a lot of need at the shelter for food." As advocates for their patients, these RNs understand that their work does not simply stop at the bedside or when patients are discharged. A person's health is fundamentally tied to factors such as whether he or she is employed at a living- wage job with medical benefits, has regular access to healthy and nutritious food, or lives in safe, decent housing. This is why National Nurses United RN members are active in campaigns such as urging Congress to pass a Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street transactions to generate money that could be used to create jobs, expand healthcare, and reverse climate change; in extending Medicare to all; and in opposing projects like the Keystone XL pipeline that pose major environmental hazards to communities. "As nurses, we serve a population of people in need and this fits well with what we do at our jobs," said Rodgers. "And, because any day, this could be us." Describing a particular meal of stroganoff, peas and bacon, corn, and fruit salad, Pam Limmer, RN, who also practices at St. Luke's, points out another sign of nurse generosity. "All the MNA members coming here usually donate a dessert," she added with a smile. "It's a shame in this country that people are hungry when we have so much food." Generous hearts run in the family, as evidenced by Rodgers' daughter, Caitlin, who is attending nursing school at St. Scholastica and who brought other students to help serve meals. "I'm blessed to have a really nice place to go to school," said Caitlin. "I always have food. I always have a warm place to sleep. So I figure if I'm blessed enough to have all of that, I can definitely help out a lot of other people." Luke Beresford works at St. Mary's Medical Center, and offered a typical reflec- tion of the group. "I'm able bodied, it's good to give back," said Beresford. "Some people aren't as fortunate as others and it's nice to be able to provide a service and give them a good meal and hopefully some shelter for a little bit. I think with a lot of nurses, that tends to just be our character. They like to help out. They like to offer themselves." "It's well worth the time spent, without a doubt," said Danielle Rodgers.— Jan Rabbers Duluth nurses feed the homeless and hungry

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