•  Nursing – East Branch devoted time to help the Salvation Army with Toyland, a program to assist qualified parents in selecting toys for their children for Christmas. The team split into two groups and served as personal shoppers for the parents, helping them pick out the perfect gift for each of their children.

• 

  Serving dinner for the Common Table Outreach Program.

  Nursing – California and Southwest Branches combined forces to provide Christmas dinner and act as hospitality volunteers for families through Common Table on December 19. They provided meals for over 125 people. As hospitality volunteers, they welcomed the guests and spent time talking with them during and after the meal. Common Table is an outreach program that supplies a meal for the impoverished and homeless people of Omaha. 

•  Nursing – Mountain West and Central Branches joined together to sort, box and shelve food for the Food Bank for the Heartland. Each of the 15 people from the two branches donated 2.5 hours of their time. Erin Anderson, Central branch manager, said, “Everyone really enjoyed being able to give back.”
• Various Medical (Nursing & Allied) employees stepped in to help when an email was received about a family in need. Five children had been removed from their mother’s care and placed with their 24-year old aunt. Social services informed the aunt that if she could not find appropriate sleeping arrangements for the kids they would be placed in separate foster homes. Employees started organizing how to get them bunk beds as well as donated toys, clothes, and gift cards for the family. The family wanted to pass along how extremely appreciative of everything they were.

Nursing-Midwest Branch hosted a craft hour at Omaha Children’s Hospital.

Nursing – East Branch assisted parents/grandparents/guardians that had registered for assistance during the holidays at the Toyland for Toys for Tots gather toys/games/books/gifts for their children.

Quality Assurance and Physicians Branches decorated the MICAH House, the homeless shelter in Council Bluffs, for the Holidays.

Medical Laboratory donated 2400 diapers to the Lydia House, a homeless shelter in Omaha.

Radiology visited the Children’s Respite Care Center, met with the program director and presented her with a $175 gift card to Target to buy gifts for the kids.  They also hosted two separate parties where each special needs child and their siblings were given a gift.

Nursing – Southwest Branch donated 1,092 diapers to the Lydia House, a homeless shelter in Omaha.

The Nursing Mountain West and Advanced Practice teams sort food for the Food Bank.

Nursing – Mountain West and Advanced Practice volunteered at the Food Bank for the 3rd year in a row to sort food in their warehouse.  The Food Bank depends on volunteers in order to keep their doors open. “It has been a great experience for our teams, it is an honor to give back to the community and help an organization that greatly impacts the less fortunate,” said one member of this team.

FocusOne has adopted the same family, originally found through the Visiting Nurses Association, with nine children (ages 1 year-17 years) for the last several years.

Rehab Therapy and Speech Divisions volunteered at the Open Door Mission/Timberlake Outreach Center. Rory Audino, branch manager of Rehab Therapy, said the following about his experience at the Open Door Mission, “Once we arrived there we were immediately inspired to do what we could to help. After meeting with Mary (the volunteer coordinator) we learned how important their services are to those in need. Every night, approximately 2,000 men, women and children in Omaha are homeless. Each day, Open Door Mission provides 400 men, women and children in Omaha with safe shelter beds. They serve more than 1,700 hot, nutritious meals daily, and provide preventive measures to more than 250 families who are living in poverty. 

Our first task was to compile 300 sack meals for the overnight visitors they expected. Through the efforts of the entire group, we were able to quickly accomplish this and move on to helping set up for dinner. I was really impressed to see how quickly the team broke up and started helping out. Everyone pitched in however possible, from mopping the kitchen floors to serving dinner.

I think I can speak for the entire group and say that we definitely saw first hand how our actions affected those around us. Interacting with everyone at the center provided a great opportunity to really see what this time of year was about. Before the afternoon was over, we were already talking about when we could help out again.”

Members of the Cardio team prepare chili at the Stephen Center.

Cardiopulmonary volunteered their time at the Stephen Center.  The Stephen Center partners with the community, families, and individuals to overcome homelessness, addiction, and poverty.  The Stephen Center works with the homeless to find quality housing, provides several programs for addiction including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, and helps to get the children residents to school.

The group provided a chili lunch for over 40 residents and collected non-perishable food items, clothing, toilet paper, and coffee for the addiction groups.  They had over 3 SUV loads of donated clothes and supplies.  A local grocery store also provided a grocery cart of donated food.

A member of the Cardio team said, “We all took a great appreciation away from the day.  We were all able to speak to several of the residents about why they are staying at the shelter.  One three-year-old boy and his mother were waiting for housing.  The three year old was a ball of energy all morning and was busy entertaining us all day.  Another resident, who helped us wash every dish in the Center, is a Vietnam Vet who was a truck driver for over 25 years.  He was going to be moving into housing soon, and was excited to get a small apartment.”

Nursing – California and Midwest Branches helped a family that is in town because their 6-year-old boy is being treated for Chronic Ideopathic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction.  Big words to say that his intestines and stomach did not function at birth.  This boy came to Omaha in March 2009 to be evaluated for a small bowel transplant.  He has had 26 surgeries since being born and received his first transplant on April 1, 2009 in Omaha.  The boy’s mother and two older sisters have been by his side from the beginning of this difficult journey. 

The California and Midwest Branches from the Nursing Division heard of this story and wanted to help!  They raised over $400 dollars and received a $50 gift card donation from the Amazing Pizza Machine.  The branches came together and purchased personal items that not only the child wanted, but also what his sisters and mother would have liked. 

Words cannot express the emotions felt upon arrival to deliver the gifts.  It was brought to the group’s attention that the boy was given six more months to live.   One AurElf said, “When meeting this child, it was hard to believe that he had gone through as much as was told to us.  His spirit was uplifting, he was full of personality, and made us all laugh.  His mother said this was the first Christmas in 6 years that she is able to spend with all 3 of her children together.  A bittersweet Christmas!”

Thank you, AurElves!!

• VOLUNTEER – Is it something you think about, but rarely get around to doing?  Many organizations need special help over the holidays – from soup kitchens and domestic violence hotlines to senior citizen homes and children’s hospitals.  Find out what’s available in your own community. You can do it alone or recruit friends and family to share the experience.
• WINTER CLEANING – The holidays are a great time to purge your home & clean out your closets, drawers & kitchen cabinets. What do you own but never use? Bring these items to a local shelter, Goodwill, or Salvation Army. They particularly appreciate winter clothes & coats. 
• BUY GIFTS THAT GIVE – Look for gifts that give a portion of the sale to charity. It’s an easy way to give back while getting your own shopping done.
• DONATE CANNED GOODS – They can help out in a great way. Go through your canned goods. See what’s been ignored and give that to a charity where it will not be ignored. You can also make it a point to buy a few extra canned goods on your next store visit.

 Do you know additional ways to give back over the holidays and beyond? If so, share them with us! Make sure to watch our blog as we’ll be posting our community service projects through our company’s AurElves program.

Logan Hendrickson, Branch Manager-Nursing

Logan Hendrickson is a Branch Manager for the Nursing Division of Aureus Medical Group. He joined C&A Industries, the parent company of Aureus Medical, in January of 2005, where he began his career as a Staffing Supervisor.  Since then he has received promotions to Team Leader and to Branch Manager, the position which he currently holds. Logan has extensive experience in recruiting, hiring, developing work teams, performance counseling, and problem solving. An advocate of continuing education, one of Logan’s greatest accomplishments was receiving his MBA, which he began and finished while working for C&A Industries.

On Sunday, September 19^th, more than 12,000 runners and 250 corporate teams completed the 2-mile or 10K event.

Members of the C&A Industries Corporate Cup team

In addition to the support received onsite, C&A Industries generously matched all funds raised or registration dues paid by employees and/or family members.

In 2009 C&A made a donation of $3265. Proudly, we have increased that number in 2010 and have donated a grand total of $3987 to the American Lung Association.

Thanks to everyone who donated to the cause or participated in Sunday’s event.

Congrats go out to the team of Amanda Sackett, Erin Bluml, David Dries, Penny Couch, Joel Gentile, Adam Ritter, and Ashley Guyle for capturing the championship.

Click here to view a slideshow of photos from the tournament.

Stephanie and her husband Adam in Phuket

Tell us the reason for your visit to Thailand?
I went to see all of my mom’s side of the family who live in Thailand, including my half-brother who was raised there by my grandmother. Until three years ago, all of these relatives were strangers halfway across the world. When we met during our first trip to Thailand, I really fell in love with those I met and felt a real connection with them, despite the language barrier. I just couldn’t wait any longer to see my niece and nephew, who are very bright, sweet kids. While we were there, I also did some professional training and took traditional Thai massage classes. I’m so grateful that everything worked out so we could go with my mom and stepdad.

What family members do you have over there? 
I have three uncles who live in eastern Thailand – Tay, Piya and Teng – two of whom have families. Of my cousins, I have met seven. Bo is my age and is married to Chan and they’ve had a baby in the past year. It was fun to realize that Bo was much like me in the way we “handle” our husband’s actions. My half-brother, Werasak (Vee-la-sock), his wife, Suoy, and two kids, Pay and Fang, all live in Bangkok. 

Some of the 6th grade English class at the "Smart School" in Bangkok

Explain what you did with the money raised at the breakfast sponsored by the Nursing division.
The money was used to purchase a laptop which will help Pay’s 6^th grade English class write papers and do research. The laptop proved to be easy to transport and share between classrooms. It was a little difficult for my mom to translate ‘pancake feed’, but the kids were very thankful for the gift! Pay’s English teacher and classmates were very excited when we came. They were especially drawn to my tall, blue-eyed husband and had fun practicing their English on him. We weren’t allowed to be in the classroom while class was in session, but while we waited in the courtyard, we felt like we were the objects of show and tell with the younger kids! It was a riot! 

How long were you there?
We were in paradise for 20 days. It’s the ‘cool’ season right now, which means 80 to 90 degree weather and little rain.     

What is the culture like in Thailand?
Thailand is very exotic and independent. It’s pretty common to see elephants and small monkeys on the street on a daily basis. Most people are Buddhists and many display devotion by visiting beautiful ornate temples and paying respect to ‘spirit houses’ that are at every dwelling. Spirit houses look like ornate birdhouses decorated with flowers, knickknacks and small dishes of food and water. The Thai language is complex – the word ‘cow’ can mean ‘white’, ‘smelly fish’, ‘news’ or ‘rice’ depending on your intonation, so you have to be careful when you practice Thai! The majority of people are very gracious and humble – they say hello, thank you, and farewell by bowing to the other with their hands pressed together. It’s really neat to use this gesture as a form of gratitude and respect, even when you know little Thai. The food is probably the most interesting. You can get everything from grasshoppers to fresh papaya to duck gizzards from vendors pushing food carts on the streets. The strangest items that we tried were seaweed chips and pickled mango (which wasn’t very good). We also had barracuda and shark that was all very fresh. And for “dessert” one night we had what appeared to be ground pork wrapped in marshmallow. The meat inside was a surprise, as it was not like your typical American sweet dessert.

Thailand is an amazing country that I recommend visiting! Although it’s still an upcoming third world country, it’s very beautiful. It makes you appreciate the luxuries we have here in the U.S., but is also humbling to see how happy many Thai people are despite living without a lot of material things.