Hope Missions鈥� Foot Washing Clinic officially launched recently in partnership with 91福利社 nursing majors. The idea for the clinic, according to Zoe Hale, COO of Hope Missions of the Upstate, came out of听observing听how many of the people seeking their help were coming to them on foot.听

鈥淥ne of the things that poverty takes away from people are our choices, and then if you’re homeless as well, you get fewer and fewer choices, so just to have people spending one-on-one time with you and taking care of you and listening therapeutically is really important,鈥� Hale said.听

According to Monica Morehead, MSN, RN, instructor of community health nursing and mental health nursing, the clinic is a great example of all four pillars of 91福利社鈥擥reat Academics, Great Faith, Great Hospitality, and Great Purpose鈥攁 great fit for Hope Missions as they provide a vital ministry of service and dignity.听

Each week, a different group of students would conduct the clinic on Wednesday and Friday throughout the fall semester. As the students washed the feet of Hope Missions鈥� guests, they had opportunities to interact with them one-on-one and, in many cases, pray for them.听

At the same time, the students learned the importance of a thorough foot assessment of individuals who may be prone to neglecting their own foot care鈥攎onitoring for听blisters, open wounds, swelling, discoloration, ill-fitting and worn-out footwear. Students practiced their therapeutic communication skills, made referrals for听additional听foot care, and provided clean socks, and occasionally new shoes.听

A priority for Hope Missions, Hale points out, is offering resources especially for their diabetic guests. She notes that often a side effect of diabetes is that people听can鈥檛听feel their extremities and are unaware of听major issues听with their feet.听

鈥淔oot washing is grounded in hospitality of our biblical heritage and is humbling for the giver and the receiver,鈥� Morehead said, citing the example of Jesus in John 13:1-5 where He washed the feet of each of His disciples.听

The Foot Washing Clinic, according to Hale, benefits Hope Missions鈥� guests receiving needed attention and assessments, while at the same time giving the nursing students a fresh perspective on helping others who have needs further complicated by living in poverty.听

For student Gracelyn Padgett, the Foot Washing Clinic was transformational.听

鈥淪itting face-to-face with new friends, washing their feet, and listening to their stories opened something in me that I didn鈥檛 even know needed听opening,鈥� Padgett said. 鈥淪o often,听I鈥檝e听learned that God leads me into places that look听scary at first glance, only听for me to realize those places are exactly where I am meant to be. Serving the guests at Hope Missions听didn鈥檛听just touch me, it reshaped me… Jesus met the sick, the poor, and the overlooked with friendship and love. Moments like this remind me of how important it is for us to love people the same way.鈥�听

An important takeaway for student Khoa 鈥淎lex鈥� Pham is that although technology and procedures he and his classmates are learning are important, effectively caring for others is only complete when treatment is given out of a loving, compassionate heart.听

鈥淭heir story and their feet together can show the whole situation of what they are going through in life, and it makes us think about how we can care for them and extend more help to our guests,” Pham said. 鈥淭alking with them and being with them in that short moment allows you to learn so much about them.鈥�听

The clinic also touched student Annaleisa Wile鈥檚 heart and changed her perspective听of the homeless, poverty and basic human rights.听

鈥淚 was blessed to have the opportunity to not only wash the feet of 10 individuals, but more importantly learn about their circumstances, hardships of homelessness, and the needs that they currently have. The foot washing clinic taught me that being homeless is not a choice, but a result of unfair circumstances to those who need the most support,” Wile said. 鈥淲ithout this clinical, I would not have learned to see these individuals as people who are in these circumstances not by choice and to advocate for their basic needs in whatever ways possible.”听

鈥淭he opportunity that I had to attend Hope Missions and participate in the foot washing clinic will forever hold a special place in my life,鈥� said student Regan Powell. 鈥淥ur class has been blessed to be able to act in a way that pleases God and听assists听our community. To be the hands and feet of Jesus听impacted听myself and my peers from this new involvement.鈥�听

College of Health Professions Dean Dr. Donald Peace praised the efforts of the听School of Nursing听serving听with Hope Missions.听

鈥淭he foot washing clinic is听a both听spiritual and therapeutic service for those in need within听our community,” Dr. Peace said. 鈥淚 see the foot washing听clinic 听as听an opportunity to provide profound healing,听humility听and dignity to those needing help, blending faith fundamentals with clinical care.鈥�听

According to Hale, the students saw 93 different individuals.听

鈥淲e did a debriefing after each group just to get an understanding if there are specific conditions they observed that they were concerned about. In all, we did 26 very specific referrals as a result of having the foot clinic,” Hale said. 鈥淲e found it very useful in terms of paying attention to health, but we also found it very useful in just delivering a safe setting for our guests to interact with the nurses and enjoy spending time with them.鈥�听

鈥淲e often consider ourselves as servants of Christ and messengers of his kingdom. In this clinical, we are living out that message that the table is open for all, all are welcome, and worthy of His love and care,鈥� Morehead said, adding that the Foot Washing Clinic fills a need for individuals with chronic and complex medical conditions to ensure their health and safety as they live unhoused. 鈥淥ur feet support us and carry us everywhere. Ensuring our feet are warm, clean,听dry听and healthy is important to everyone and easily听neglected,.听This is a skin assessment that is听frequently听missed or neglected on patient admissions at the bedside in many community settings.鈥�听

鈥淭his mission is essential to the College of Health Professions and our School of Nursing,” Dr. Peace continued. 鈥淎s you can imagine, this type of service develops compassionate, holistic practitioners dedicated to community wellness.鈥�听

The Hope Missions staff is thankful for this partnership with 91福利社 and looks forward to seeing this partnership continue to bless their guests and the students. Hope Missions鈥� website is听.听

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Murray and Ogrodnick found a common bond in their love for running. One day a classmate overheard their conversation about running marathons, and she told them about Oasis for Orphans, a Kenya-based organization where she worked for several years, and that they were getting up a team to run the Chicago Marathon and to raise funds for the charity.听听

鈥淩unning is fun. It鈥檚 great, but it鈥檚 just for you. The idea that we鈥檙e going to have a just larger impact on someone other than just ourselves,” Ogrodnick said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just an extra motivation.鈥�听

鈥淲hen you have a cause you鈥檙e running for, it gives you extra motivation to get out the door early, get your run in for the day and know you鈥檙e doing it for something bigger than yourself,” Murray said. 鈥淭aking in pride in how you鈥檙e running, how you鈥檙e representing this great organization makes it more meaningful.鈥�听

On October 13 Murray and Ogrodnick will channel their determination and endurance in Chicago. They say that every step they take in the marathon is a step towards positive change. To that end, they are seeking donations with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Oasis for Orphans. For more information about how Oasis for Orphans help children, visit their . Details about how to support Murray and Ogrodnick are .听

鈥淲e are bursting with pride for Sterling and Kevin’s planned run for the Chicago Marathon,” said 91福利社 College of Health Professions Dean, Dr. Donald Peace. 鈥淚 believe they will not only run the marathon but听will conquer this challenging course in October. Sterling and Kevin represent 91福利社 and the College of Health Professions in a truly inspiring way. Their dedication, perseverance and athletic spirit are a shining example for the entire community. Their success听will truly reflect the values we hold dear at the College of Health Professions, and we’re honored to have them as part of our program.鈥� 听

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According to Kathy Schofield, special population recreation program director and Area 14 Anderson County Special Olympics co-area director, the purpose of the event was to allow as many athletes as they could serve to get their required physical completed.

Nursing Mental Health and Wellness students assisted Dr. Kumar to provide sports physicals for 30 special olympians.听

鈥�91福利社鈥檚 Nursing students are trailblazers and valuable community partners with Area 14 Special Olympics and Special Population Recreation 鈥楾he Rainbow Gang,鈥欌�� Schofield said. 鈥淒uring the school year students immerse themselves within our population by volunteering to host spooky tables, dance and chaperone our Trunk or Treat. Students spend a day at Rainbow Gang, and often come back to volunteer for additional events. The experience that the students gain in spending time and working closely with our friends with special needs is crucial for the continued health needs and longer life expectancies that our population is experiencing.鈥澨�

Nicholas Posey, a nursing instructor in the School of Nursing of the 91福利社 College of Health Professions, says his students had been serving the Rainbow Gang with clinicals on Wednesdays and Fridays each week. He approached Schofield about additional ways to get students involved and she presented the opportunity to help Dr. Kumar with the physicals.

Posey praised his students for going above and beyond to help these athletes prepare for the Area 14 Special Olympics.听

鈥淭hese students volunteered their time and expertise on a Saturday. The Olympians and their parents were served in a meaningful and intentional way. The students received real world experience, as well as lots of love and hugs from a very special population. The servant heart of Jesus was apparent on the faces of our students on this day. It was an amazing thing to witness,鈥� said Posey.

91福利社鈥檚 Nursing students basically ran the 鈥渄octor鈥檚 office鈥� for more than four hours, gaining experience by checking in patients, taking blood pressure, height and weight measurements, and keeping a good flow of patients. According to Posey, students also set up a play area for families with small children to keep them engaged. They also brought in some candy and stuffed animal gifts for the younger folks.听

During lunch, students were able to enjoy an impromptu audience with Dr. Kumar, a local physician who volunteers his services to the program, and learn some pearls of wisdom. Dr. Kumar and his wife, who have a daughter with Down鈥檚 Syndrome and is in the program, volunteer time to the Rainbow Gang.

鈥淏e personal with people,鈥� Dr. Kumar said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e in the healthcare profession, it鈥檚 a noble one, it鈥檚 the one you choose because your heart feels that way.鈥�

In all, they were able to serve more than 25 athletes who will compete in the annual spring games April 10 at Belton Honea Path High School and 13 year-round sports that are hosted.听

鈥淚t was due to the professionalism, energy, and compassion that these students brought that helped our event to be a huge success,鈥� Schofield said.听

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Children are often frightened of doctor visits and hospital stays, but two professors from the 91福利社 College of Health Professions and Pediatric Nursing students developed a fun, free clinic to help them conquer their fears.

Alison Peeples and Cindy Swaney, professors of Pediatric Nursing at 91福利社鈥檚 School of Nursing, came up with a way to help their nursing students gain clinical experiences while helping youngsters view doctors and nurses and what they do in a different light.

鈥淥ur pediatric students do multiple rotations through different clinical areas,鈥� Peeples said. 鈥淚 told Cindy it would be nice if we could do a Teddy Bear Clinic, which she has been involved with at AnMed.鈥�

On July 21, Peeples, Swaney and their students traveled to Belton Pentecostal Church of God Kids Club, a school enrichment program, and put on a clinic they named Teddy Gets a Checkup. The children interacted with 91福利社 students and a big teddy bear on loan from AnMed, who led the kids in exercises and other fun activities. Participants also got a T-shirt and stuffed bears, which AnMed donated.

鈥淎 student dressed up in the (bear) costume got involved in lots of activities that went on with the kids. They practiced giving him shots and he was doing CPR with the kids and doing the exercise, stretching with the kids. It was fantastic,鈥� Swaney said. 鈥淥ne of the children walked by us and they told their friend they were with that this was the best day ever.鈥�

Kids Club Director Allison Goff, who is also an 91福利社 alumna, says that anywhere from 30 to 60 children usually come to the Kids Club in summer.

鈥淭hey absolutely engaged with the university students,鈥� Goff said. 鈥淭hey had different stations set up with the teddy bears. They did CPR on them and checked their pulse. They just got the kids really involved and got them moving and doing hopscotch, just showing them different activities that they could do to keep physically fit. They absolutely loved it.鈥�

The Nursing students also got a lot out of the experience.

鈥淚 am overall very impressed with how the teddy bear clinic went,鈥� said Nursing student Raegan Metcalf. 鈥淚 went in not knowing what to expect but learned very fast how much kids can learn while also having so much fun.鈥�

鈥淚t was a lot of fun and allowed for multiple interactions with pediatric patients,鈥� said Nursing student Alexis Crawford. 鈥淲hile they were not ill, we were able to educate on the importance of the different topics at the clinic in ways that the students will likely remember and be able to go home and share with their parents and/or siblings while using their stuffed animal to show how to properly carry out the procedures/skills.鈥�

鈥淭his was one of my favorite clinicals. It was different, fun and super educational for the kids,鈥� said Nursing student Anna Bishop. 鈥淚 would love to see it grow next year to include firefighters or policemen.鈥�

鈥淚t was fun interacting with all the different ages and education levels. Some were extremely knowledgeable, and some had no idea that their heart had blood in it. I was able to ask some of them what their favorite station was (mostly all of them said the exercise!). I enjoyed watching them visit all my classmates鈥� stations as well,鈥� said Nursing student Sarah Williams.

鈥淓mpowering children and allowing them to make their own decisions in a safe manner is one of the most beneficial things we can do for them at this stage in development,鈥� said Nursing student Nicolette Morabito.

鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of Prof. Peeples and Prof. Swaney for the incredible work they have done with Teddy Gets a Checkup. This service provides an incredible opportunity to break down a barrier to healthcare and helps children overcome the fear that often exist with children and healthcare.鈥�

鈥淚 am thankful for faculty who have a passion for serving their students, communities, and others in this way,鈥� said Dr. Cindy Cross, associate dean of the College of Health Professions and chief nursing administrator. 鈥淭eddy Gets a Checkup is a great service-learning opportunity for our students. Nursing students can join and engage in the community directly through service learning, a unique teaching strategy that benefits both the community and the students.鈥�

Peeples and Swaney hope to take Teddy Gets a Checkup on the road.

鈥淥ur students go out to all of the schools in Anderson School District 4 to do part of the clinical, to be with the school nurse, so I鈥檝e reached out to the elementary schools to see if they would be interested in us also coming to host the Teddy Gets a Checkup clinic,鈥� Peeples said. 鈥淭he first school that I talked to was very excited. If that is something all of the elementary schools are interested in, then we can definitely reach out to others and do the same thing one day out of the semester for each group of nursing students we have.鈥�

Nursing students will also be volunteering at AnMed鈥檚 next big Teddy Bear Clinic September 30.

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Not all childhood memories are happy ones. Monica Morehead of the 91福利社 College of Health Professions works hard to be part of a solution that provides hope in seemingly hopeless circumstances.

Studies have shown that adverse childhood experiences that happened to a child before the age of 18 can change brain chemistry, especially if those stressors become toxic and no intervention takes place. Without intervention, children can go through life psychologically scarred and prone to chronic health conditions or death up to 20 years earlier through maladaptive behaviors.

鈥淭eaching about ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) empowers us to change the conversation from 鈥榃hat’s wrong with you?鈥� to 鈥榃hat happened to you?鈥� for all individuals, opening doors for healing,鈥� said Morehead, a clinical nursing instructor.

Morehead shared her knowledge about ACEs as the featured speaker for Empower Oconee鈥檚 March Coalition Meeting March 10. Her presentation was titled 鈥淎CEs and Community Assessment.鈥�

Empower Oconee is an initiative of the United Way of Oconee County focused on supporting children and families so they are strong and can live to their full potential. Empower Oconee received grants from the Children鈥檚 Trust of South Carolina to do pilot programs to strengthen children, families and communities. Oconee County was among three counties to receive the Children鈥檚 Trust funding.

Morehead connected with Empower Oconee through a friend of hers who established Heath鈥檚 Haven, a program that helps people with the basic tools needed for healthy relationships.

Morehead said, 鈥淲hat Children鈥檚 Trust does is not only prevent child abuse but to prevent all kinds of abuse, whether it鈥檚 emotional, physical, sexual or neglect and help families who maybe the parents had those adverse experiences to recognize 鈥榟ey, you had a rough time, let鈥檚 give you some new skills so that you can offer your children a better chance than what someone offered you.鈥� It鈥檚 not laying blame on anybody, it鈥檚 just saying 鈥榳e recognize where you are and we want to help you do better.鈥欌��

According to Morehead, Empower Oconee started in 2019-2020. In the early days of its existence, the community was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. If that wasn鈥檛 enough, a devastating EF-3 tornado hit the Seneca area, destroying homes and traumatizing residents.

Empower Oconee lovingly reached out to the community. Among the ways they did this was to organize a baby shower drive where people donated items normally given in a baby shower鈥攁ll for new moms to pick up and use. Students from the 91福利社 School of Nursing gave out packets from Empower Oconee, loaded with ideas about games and activities things families could do together.

Morehead has a passion for the wellbeing of children and others caught up in adversity.

鈥淎s a nurse, I鈥檓 very interested in anything mental health related because I鈥檓 a psychiatric nurse,鈥� she said. 鈥淛ust understanding how trauma affects people over the lifespan was of great interest to me, so I picked up interest in this officially in 2019; That鈥檚 when I became an ACE Master Trainer so I can do these one-to-three hour lectures on the importance of ACEs and understanding what your ACE score is and what does that mean. It鈥檚 not destiny, but it definitely says 鈥榳e may have some things we need to address to help you be better.鈥欌��

鈥淭he work Monica is doing with the ACEs teaching is wonderful,鈥� said Cynthia Cross, program chair for undergraduate nursing in the College of Health Professions. 鈥淲e are incorporating it into our Mental Health Nursing course here at AU. We have seen positive effects on our students in the clinical setting as they are able to pick up on these traumatic events that have happened to their patients. In turn, allowing them to care for their patient in a better way by being sensitive to their needs.鈥�

Morehead came to 91福利社 in 2017 with a background in psychiatric nursing, school nursing and cardiac nursing.

She has been a mental health advocate and served as a volunteer mental health/child & adolescent advocate with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for more than 20 years, educating and supporting primarily families with children. In 2021 she assumed the role of lead faculty for Community Health Nursing, combining all of her passions for mental health and community health nursing.

She serves as a Board Member for NAMI-AOP, Anderson Lights of Hope, Alpha Alpha Pi chapter of Sigma International, and is Advisory Member of Anderson Institute of Technology. She is a member of Alpha Alpha Pi and Phi Pi of Sigma International and the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Morehead received her BSN from Chamberlain College of Nursing in 2017 and her MSN from Western Governors University in 2020.

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