Help Stamp Out Hunger by giving food Saturday

This Saturday is the National Letter Carriers Food Drive. This is a nation-wide annual event conducted by several community partners including the United States Postal Service, United Way and others.

It is no secret there are many families in our community who will benefit from this drive. Through your generosity, our local food banks will be replenished. They include Main Street Mission, Rowan Helping Ministries and the Salvation Army.

On Saturday morning you may leave non-perishable food at your mailbox in the bag which will be delivered to you this week. Your postal carrier will pick up and bring your donations to the main Post Office located on East Innes Street. There volunteers will unload, weigh and sort the items. Representatives from the three food banks will be there to receive the food and take it back for distribution to the families in need.

I would be remiss if I did not thank Dennis Sims for his leadership in coordinating our efforts. Thanks to Kim Lane, who represents the local letter carriers, and to Sherman Jourdian, the officer in charge (postmaster) at our Post Office. Without them this drive would not happen.

Please don’t forget to put your food donations out this Saturday morning. Thank you in advance for helping us “stamp out hunger.”

—Jackie Harris

Salisbury

Harris is campaign and marketing director for the Rowan County United Way.

National Nurses Week

This week, May 6-12, the Salisbury VA Medical Center honors the dedicated men and women we in the Department of Veterans Affairs consider to be the compassionate backbone of the veterans’ health care system — nurses.

The theme of National Nurses Week 2015 is “Ethical Practice. Quality Care.” Embracing the ICARE VA values, VA nurses provide excellent care with the highest integrity, giving our veterans the greatest respect.

No one puts more passion into the health care profession than VA nurses. VA is the nation’s largest single employer of nurses, and VA nurses lead their profession in education and training, clinical responsibility and research and scholarly inquiry. But their passion comes from VA’s mission — caring for veterans.

VA nurses are essential partners in every health care team of professionals. Across our entire continuum of care, no health care professional is closer to the veterans we care for than a VA nurse. Veterans and families rely on them for their compassion, and the VA relies on them for setting the highest quality standards.  That reliance is well placed.  VA’s recognition as a leader in health care, patient safety and research is due in large part to nurses.

I am deeply proud to be associated with the nurses who serve veterans at the Salisbury VA Medical Center and of all of our nation’s 3.1 million registered nurses who work tirelessly to keep us well and save lives around the clock every day.

— Garett Schreier

Salisbury

Schreier is associate director for patient care services and executive nurse at the Salisbury VA Medical Center.