Columbia University School of Nursing Students Take on Hurricane Sandy
Students organize to help those in need in The Rockaways and Coney Island (NEW YORK, NY, Nov. 12, 2012) – On Sunday, November 11th, a contingent of about 20 students from the Columbia University School of Nursing Entry to Practice program (ETP) banded together to help storm victims in Rockaway, Queens rebuild their lives. Equipped with medical supplies, as well as mops, bleach, baby food and formula, garbage bags, carbon monoxide detectors, face masks, and gloves, the students travelled via rental vans to the devastated Belle Harbor community as part of Team Rubicon, a nonprofit that deploys emergency response teams into crisis situations. The students, led by Claire Kiefer, ’13, also travelled to the community the previous weekend to assist, after learning that one of their schoolmates and Belle Harbor resident, Jillienne Jordan’s house was impacted by the storm.
The School of Nursing contributed $1,000 toward supplies and rental vans. The students spent the day cleaning basements and garages, cleaning out basements and garages, shoveling sand away from houses and cars, and bringing up molded floor tiles. “As nursing students, we strive to improve the lives of all people,” said Kiefer. “This weekend, we tried to make a difference for people whose lives were affected close to home.” Jillienne Jordan was interviewed on the CBS Evening News on her relief efforts in the Rockaways with her sister: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50134912n&tag=api In addition, a student in the nurse midwifery program, Anna Lederman, who is fluent in Russian, has created a successful way to assess needs in the Coney Island community and to meet individual needs of vulnerable people still trapped in apartment buildings. The Columbia University School of Nursing has donated $5,000 to allow her to continue her grassroots efforts. She has now organized the entire midwifery class to work with her. Her efforts in Coney Island were covered by New York Magazine: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/11/occupy-sandy-goes-door-to-door-in-coney-island.html