In May 2019, the Department of Psychiatry volunteered at three local non-profits as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic made on-site volunteering difficult, so staff members found other ways to help out.
Here is a list of some of the donations of time and money from psychiatry faculty and staff:
- The clinic at the Department of Psychiatry donated $250 of snack items to the nurses at Douglas County Long-Term Care units who were working long, hard hours due to the spike in the pandemic, particularly in poor and elderly patient populations.
- The adult and child and adolescent division nurses donated the money that would have purchased their Nurse’s Week appreciation flowers ($300) to purchase hygiene products for our clinic’s on-going hygiene item donation drive. Celeste Akers, Community Service Tech Lead, and Bonnie Dollen, LPN, helped with the deliveries.
- The geriatric division nurses donated their flowers to be delivered to the nurses who work at the Douglas County Long-Term Care units, since they were dealing with a ton of stress/workplace hazards from COVID-19.
- The Department of Psychiatry raised $585 to buy hygiene products to donate to Heart Ministries Center’s pantry.
- The Department of Psychiatry raised $530 and a box of fruit to donate to the YES House (Youth Emergency Services) shelter and food pantry. Research Assistant Arica Lerdahl, IOP Social Worker Christine Hoffman and Akers ordered deli meals and food items from Hy-Vee to be delivered to YES homeless youth clients to supply three days of meals. “We’re very grateful for your support,” said YES Executive Director Mary Fraser Meints. “You helped us feed many youths and their households.”
- Members of the Department of Psychiatry participated in NAMI’s Annual NAMI Walks virtual event fundraiser. The NE Med team, led by PES Manager Jennifer Sparrock, LICSW, raised more than $1,000 for NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness).
- The Department of Psychiatry raised $570 to donate to Charles Drew Health Center to show support for the work they do with helping underserved residents of North Omaha get health care, mental health care, and social services.