LANSING, Mich. — The Student Nurses Association (SNA) from Baker College of Muskegon recently presented a unique and bittersweet $1,000 donation to Shields of Hope West Michigan.
The student group chose to support this particular organization for a very personal reason: one of its own members, Alison Terpsma of Holland, Mich., was supported by Shields of Hope as her mother battled cancer late last year, and when she unfortunately passed away.
Shields of Hope is comprised of a group of local public safety officials from the area who spread hope, love and encouragement to individuals and families impacted by cancer. Specifically, for Alison and her family, volunteers from Shields of Hope organized a home visit for her mother, which gave friends and family the opportunity to spend more time with Alison’s mother, providing loving memories and closure for those involved just a few days before she passed.
SNA members at Baker College of Muskegon took time in fall to sell candy bars for $1 each and collect cash donations. The $1,000 check of their proceeds was presented to Shields of Hope in Zeeland at one of organization’s recent board meetings.
Alison had this to say about the experience:
“It’s so hard for me to put into words what all of this has meant to me. I honestly don’t think I could have gotten through this past year without the encouragement of my nursing school family at Baker, students and faculty. I even had a tremendous amount of support from my online informatics instructor at Baker (Ed Bissett) this summer.
I wanted to quit college so many times, but the encouragement I received kept me going. Then to come back this fall, just weeks after my mom’s passing to this fundraiser...I’m honestly speechless, and the fact we raised $1,000 just by selling candy bars. I’m moved to tears when I really allow myself to think about it. I know that money will be put to good use!”
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