Hello and welcome to living in the Lehigh Valley, a health and wellness show for everyone, I'm your host, Brittney Sweeney.

Coming up on this episode, the next generation of nurses, how the pandemic is influencing and inspiring today's nursing students and United Way Day of Caring Volunteers are the backbone of so much of what happens here in the Lehigh Valley.

But what does giving back do for the volunteer?

You might be surprised at what we found, plus getting outside for good.

A group of women are getting together to give back and get some exercise, and you're invited.

First up, almost two years into a global pandemic, health care workers like nurses are burned out and stressed to the limit.

The effects are overwhelming.

Our Dennis Ortega is here.

She spent some time recently with some aspiring nursing students from Moravian University.

And what was that like?

What was that experience like?

Well, thanks, Brittany.

First of all, let me start here.

The pandemic is a scary time for us all, but probably more so for those in the health care field that are on the front lines.

And when you put that into context with the fact that there are recent nursing shortages, it really just sheds a light on the fact who are our future nurses, who are our future doctors?

And so that to the point where our local health networks have recently announced that they're offering sign on bonuses for those who become friends of up to twenty thousand?

Wow.

So they're really in demand right now.

They are really in demand.

And so I recently visited Moravian University School of Nursing to shadow students, some who are already on the front lines and some looking forward to getting their chance to help people pandemic or not.

Oh, yeah, for as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a nurse.

Elise Keeney is a junior at the Helen S. Brigham School of Nursing and Public Health at Moravian University.

She, along with the rest of her class, started nursing school prior to the pandemic with different expectations.

I feel like the pandemic has helped me realize that I can't take anything for granted.

I got to work a little bit on a COVID floor all summer, and that just really showed how much it impacts other people.

Kimmy says working with COVID patients was scary at first, but reaffirmed her passion to do this type of work.

It's no different than any other patient.

You're there to help them get better.

Today, Kaemi is doing Obie and pediatric simulations.

One of her classmates is Emily.

We are learning about the assessments of a newborn and infant, a premature and also how to take care of the mother postpartum.

It's right up lengthways alley.

She's considering a career as a pediatric nurse and even possibly in the pick you.

She says this is her passion.

It was pretty clear to me from an early age that nursing was what I wanted to do.

I never really veered away from it.

Teami and lengthy are only two of the students at Moravian School of Nursing passionate about their careers, but also learning to adapt amid a public health crisis.

Don Goodall heads Moravians School of Nursing.

We are fortunate to be embedded in a liberal arts education, so we have our traditional undergraduate program, which begins sophomore year here at Moravian University and continues through their senior year in at the university.

We have an accelerated BSN program, which is a 16 month program that is for college graduates from another field that returned for their bachelor's in nursing.

We also have an R&D BSN program and an MSN program, which includes a clinical nurse leader, nurse educator and a nurse administrator, as well as our nurse practitioner programs.

She says the pandemic has been and continues to be a learning experience.

It has taught us to be flexible for sure.

Over the 16 months, so our students have been very resilient and very flexible in their classroom experiences.

Because what's going to happen if there?

Bacteria on the skin.

Deb Halliday is a simulation lab coordinator.

Today, she's teaching her students the proper way to administer an IV, And I have simulation IV arms that we go over the process and then they get the feel of how it feels to do.

And I've not on a real patient, but on a simulated arm.

One of the students is Kayla Pittman.

She'll be graduating in a few months to become an emergency room R.N.. She's eager to put to practice the skills she's learned at Moravian.

I was definitely nervous at the beginning, but now I'm a senior.

I've learned how to have a nurse patient relationship.

I've learned to have empathy with patients.

The uncertainties and twists and turns of a pandemic have not altered these students course.

I think it only made my love for nursing stronger.

It has taught me resiliency.

It made me work harder.

The feeling you get after you help someone, it's by far one of the best feelings.

That's your reward is helping someone.

I feel that I have the ability to help other people, and not everybody can say that they're going into a field that is that stressful.

But the reward is big being able to help other people.

It's made me more passionate.

I've always known that nursing was for me, so it didn't really make me decide to be a nurse, but it's made me happier and more excited for the career.

Moravian University also offers an accelerated nursing program for those that find themselves inspired to get into nursing but don't want to go through four years of education.

You can get your bachelor's of science and nursing degree in 16 months.

Genesis I really just admire all those nurses and those signing bonuses.

They are so worth it.

They are really the backbone of our health care industry.

Yeah, they really are.

And when you just listen to some of their back stories, some of them are juggling sports college activities.

There was a nursing student who even had a newborn baby that was just four months old.

And so it really is inspiring to see the passion that they bring into just learning to become a nurse so that they can get out there and help.

Sure.

And just the willingness to put yourself on the front line to put yourself in harm's way, make yourself susceptible to things like the coronavirus is just so heroic.

I just applaud them so much.

That's why you hear the term health care heroes that even applies to these nursing students.

Well, best of luck to those folks, Genesis, and thank you so much.

Thanks, Brittney.

If the beautiful fall scenery and cooler weather aren't enough to get you outside may be doing so for a good cause, we'll get you out and about.

Get Outside for Good is a monthly hike aimed at raising awareness about different Lehigh Valley community organizations.

I hit the trail to find out all about it.

Middle school program, which is called heart and Soul.

Okay, that's great.

Shelley Maley is on the path to mindfulness.

And I've been spending a lot of time outdoor since really since COVID started, The McConaughey career coach says her busy schedule makes it hard to stop and slow down When I get home from work.

I immediately log on to my computer and I'm working on my Business, but she's making a conscious effort to take some time for herself.

My life is hectic.

I also have a daughter who is looking at colleges, and we're going through that whole college application process, so I really need the time to just take care of myself and give give myself this this time in space, reflect my thoughts and just keep myself calm.

She's finding that calm here at the South Mountain Preserve in Allentown during a monthly hike called Get Outside for Good.

It's just a great way to calm your mind.

Have a little bit of zen in a crazy world.

It's a hike the first Sunday of every month, bringing local women together.

Research shows that just being outside, especially in a wooded forested area for just a few minutes, can lower our blood pressure, lower our cortisol in our body, the stress hormone, and we can take that.

Those benefits translate after we leave our hike or our little time outside.

We respond to stress a little bit more effectively and efficiently.

Women's empowerment coach and therapist Shonda Morales is behind the initiative.

So I love to hike and be outside and meet all kinds of women, and I wanted to do networking and kind of a really informal, fun, low pressure way.

So this is a way where I can give back to the community, get outside, introduce women to some of these beautiful trails we have.

They can meet other like minded women and we can raise some awareness and funds for some great organizations.

Each month, those who come to the hike are also asked to make a donation to a chosen community organization.

October's hike benefits girls on the run.

Lehigh Valley Girls in the Run is a national nonprofit organization for girls in third through Eighth Grade.

We teach life skills through physical activity.

The organization has served about 1000 girls a year in the Lehigh Valley since 2007.

Every donation, whether it's five dollars or five hundred dollars, makes a difference.

We do not turn any any girl away from participating in our program, but obviously there's a cost to that participation.

So we raise a lot of money for scholarships, for girls to participate in our program, and that's what every, every donation is going to go to.

The suggested donation is modest, and so is the hiking trail.

For those looking to participate Very mild to moderate type trail, there's a little bit of an incline, but it's a little less than three miles.

Yeah, we take our time and take breaks as needed, and there is a flat surface for somebody who is wanting to kind of do that sort of paths As much as Morales encourages those interested to sign up on her website and come to the hike.

She also encourages everyone to take a few minutes to enjoy the great outdoors.

What I'd love to do with part of this view is just to inspire people to get outside.

It's a great way to have a meeting or a one on one, get together with a friend to just get outside in nature and hike and spend some time together.

Those who are getting outside for good agree, saying the benefits are clear for both the women hiking and the organizations they are hiking for.

It's really fun to be with other people that also want to be outside, and it's a great way to get to know other people and network and make new friends.

Again, the group meets on the first Sunday of the month at the South Mountain Preserve November 7th.

Donations will benefit the kindness project of Lehigh Valley onto our next story.

Volunteers are known for giving of themselves to help others.

Grover Silcox joins us now with a twist on the benefits of volunteering Grover.

It's great to see you.

Great to be here, Brittany.

So volunteers not only is giving helpful and it feels good to give back, it's all actually has some health benefits as well.

It really is.

You know, we were all taught that it is better to give than to receive.

Right?

But according to the Mayo Clinic, volunteers who give up their time receive multiple health benefits.

I love that, and some of those benefits include reduced stress and increased relaxation.

Volunteering has especially positive benefits for retired folks.

I spoke with Lynette Smith, a retired educator, about why she volunteers.

I also asked Carmen Bell, director of Healthy Aging for the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, how volunteering offers retirees renewed purpose and satisfaction.

I'm trying to remember his name.

Retired educator Lynette Smith loves the color blue, and on this United Way day of caring, she gets to spread the love in broad strokes on the doors and walls inside South Bethlehem's new Bethany Ministries short term housing complex.

Blue is my favorite color, so painting those doors blue again brought a smile to my face.

New Bethany Ministries depends on 900 volunteers a year to help it support people experiencing poverty, hunger and homelessness.

I used to drive into the city all the time.

This is nice because it's an hour shorter.

After a 36 year career serving as an elementary school teacher, principal and then adjunct professor at Penn State Lehigh Valley, Lynette wondered how she might continue serving others even in retirement.

I was brought up to believe that people need each other and that at every point in your life, you're going to see examples of how you need help or how you can be of help to others.

I was able to be successful because I had so many people supporting me, encouraging me, helping me working together with me, and it was always important for me to reach out and to offer back whatever I could to others.

As a member of Women United, a philanthropic affinity group of the United Way of Greater Lehigh Valley, Lynette volunteers in myriad ways, but especially as an educator for one of women United's signature projects at Central Elementary School.

I began volunteering directly at the school tutoring students in early reading and to help them work towards reading proficiency.

We've helped with things like their book tackler their parent programs or getting donations for specific needs that the children and their families have, whether it be school supplies or winter coats.

And I'm the director of healthy aging.

Ok, so I'm concerned with that's Why they picked an old person.

Carmen Belle as director of Healthy Aging for the United Way of Greater Lehigh Valley, sees first hand how retirees like Lynette find renewed purpose and other benefits through volunteering.

Those I care for.

Yeah, it Allows them to remain engaged and connected to their community and to have a sense of purpose to their lives.

We also know that it it makes you feel calm, it reduces stress, and it has positive mental health and physical benefits.

So you get to engage, you get to feel like you're still doing something that's worthwhile and that you are contributing to your community.

There are always things in the community.

I looked at it and I thought, I'd like to try that.

I'd like to do that.

And so when you do finally retire first, it's a little nerve wracking.

But then you see, there's so many different ways that you can contribute and you can help.

I think it's always important to be in a place that makes you feel comfortable, makes you feel like you can accomplish what's being asked of you and that you really are making a contribution and where you can relax into that role.

Volunteers often share how they get more than they give, whether they're helping youngsters read or adding a fresh coat of paint to a place families call home.

We know that doing good feels good.

It just gives you a feeling of satisfaction.

So at the end of the day, you should feel like you've accomplished something that you've helped somebody out.

And in that respect, you've helped yourself as well.

Many nonprofits, like New Bethany Ministries depends on volunteers to provide the services so many people need in our community.

The United Way's day of caring, with five hundred volunteers completing community service projects across the Lehigh Valley, highlights that reality And Grover Lynette Smith.

She had quite the successful career in education.

She was an elementary school teacher, a principal, even an adjunct professor.

That's right.

Yeah, she loved her career and you could just tell she is really good at it, but it required a lot of time and a lot of commitment.

So in retirement now she gets to set her own pace and her schedule around her grandchildren, her family and even her volunteer services.

Yeah, that's a great benefit to volunteering in retirement.

You make your own schedule.

Exactly.

All right, Grover Silcox, as always, thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you.

A report by AmeriCorps on volunteering across the country gives state by state highlights on the scope of community service.

In Pennsylvania alone, three and a half million volunteers contributed three hundred and forty one million hours of service for an estimated value of eight point two billion dollars.

Just over thirty four percent of residents say they volunteer.

And of course, it's great to see so many people volunteering.

The pandemic has been a game changer for all of us.

It's presented challenges, obviously for the nonprofit groups around the Lehigh Valley and the volunteers they have come to rely on so much.

Let's start there today.

We have Karen Smith here from the volunteer center of the Lehigh Valley.

Karen, thank you so much for joining us.

Thanks for having me today.

So what's the picture look like across the Lehigh Valley when it comes to volunteering right now in the middle of a pandemic?

So it continues to change, and I will tell you that we were pretty much on a shutdown when it came to volunteering, and so that caused a ripple effect for the nonprofits where they really had to continue to ramp up their game because their needs were not being met in the community.

So they really had to rely on staff and not on volunteers.

And slowly, especially with the weather changing and the warmer weather, a little bit of the the controls being lightened up, we were able to get more volunteers starting to come out and especially to be outside because people feel more comfortable if they can be outside in the community, doing stuff and being working in support of the nonprofits.

We are seeing volunteers going back into the nonprofits as well, and obviously there's protocols and CDC guidelines that are followed for those.

But we're also hoping to continue to see a little bit more of that engagement through the fall.

Are you seeing more or fewer volunteers at this time when it comes to volunteering In comparison to a year ago?

We're seeing a lot more and we're seeing, for example, last week alone, we had over 500 volunteers out in the community.

In one day, the volunteer center coordinates the day of caring on behalf of United Way.

And so we saw a lot of people out in the community wanting to be outside together with their coworkers who they've not been able to see in person for up to over a year.

Sure.

So you're seeing volunteers come back.

Would you say it's pre-pandemic levels yet?

I would say no.

I would say there's still some hesitation.

I would also say, when you think about the volunteer base prior to the pandemic, we saw a lot of seniors as our corps volunteers, people that were retired that could come out.

That group of volunteers has not come back in full force yet.

They're still slowly coming back.

I don't think we'll ever see pre-pandemic levels of retirees anytime soon.

Ok, and what about the need, the people who or the organizations who need volunteers in order to get their events up and off the ground?

Is that need There?

The need is there and it's actually kind of a two part answer.

Part of it is most of the events are continuing to be in virtual space.

We're starting to see some, but there's not.

I also see cancellations as soon as I see events posted.

So we're not seeing a lot of in-person events, which is, you know, allowing the volunteers not to necessarily be in person.

But we are seeing more of that virtual need and for people asking for support in promoting their virtual event and helping bring those elements together.

Karen, as we just heard, there's health benefits to giving back.

It doesn't just feel good to give back, there's actual health benefits.

So what's the motivation that you hear from volunteers?

Why do they show up and give their time?

A lot of times it's driven by mission of what's impacted them personally.

Like, they want to go out and support an organization that they've benefited from a friend, a family member.

So that's a large part of it.

And also the idea of just doing stuff in community and being with other people.

I think the idea of meeting new people, trying new skills, being able to support an organization in different ways is really What drives them and the pandemic itself.

How has it impacted the Center for Volunteering in the Lehigh Valley?

So just like any other organization, we've had to shift, so we paused on most of our in-person events.

We got very creative in identifying and working with nonprofits for virtual opportunities for us to help promote virtual volunteer opportunities through our programs, like our volunteer challenge.

We've embraced technology.

You know, I won't say pivot because I don't like that, but I will tell you that we've embraced technology.

We have basically moved all of our training programs onto a virtual platform.

Most of our committee meetings, board member meetings are all virtual at this point, and we've been able to use it to our advantage.

So it's increased our participation for a lot of our training programs because it's easy access for people.

Sure, it's a little bit more convenient for sure.

A year ago, during the pandemic, we didn't have vaccines.

Now we do.

Was that again?

Game changer for you.

I think it was a game changer for a lot of the profit organizations in order to welcome volunteers back to be able to have that proof of vaccination, to have that comfort level, that people are getting vaccinated and they're able to come in more safely into their environment.

And so when it comes to manpower, financial end of things, that kind of thing, how have you rebounded?

I mean, we're sort of slowly climbing out of this pandemic.

How has the volunteer center of the Lehigh Valley rebounded?

We have, and I will say, this is probably true statement for most of the nonprofits.

Our community here in the Lehigh Valley, our donors and supporters didn't stop.

They have been supporting organizations that they believe in.

They've shifted.

They've been able to fund operating expenses, different things like that.

So for the volunteer center, we are in a very strong position right now.

We've done very well throughout the pandemic in order to continue our support.

We were also successful in getting the PPP funding, so we were able to use that and be able to add technology in our space at new staffing.

So we have seen growth through the pandemic and we've been able to, like I said, embrace and our donors have been extremely supportive.

That's great to hear if people want to get involved, if they want to donate their time or somehow help the volunteer center of the Lehigh Valley, how can they do so?

Well, there's two things.

One is any time a volunteer is looking to engage, they can come onto our website and our website has nonprofit volunteer opportunities that are either date specific or anything that you're thinking about doing.

So that's one way.

So anytime they want to come there, if there's groups that are coming together, we will directly match groups to nonprofits that are looking to have larger projects done similar to like a day of caring or a volunteer challenge project.

And the third thing I would add is this is also the beginning of our holiday hope chest season.

So Holiday Hope Chest is a Lehigh Valley based program.

Will we support about forty five nonprofit organizations in providing shoeboxes that are wrapped and filled with gifts for children here in the community?

And so we will be kind of starting that logistic process here in the next two weeks.

And last year, we did over eight thousand shoeboxes Even in the middle of a pandemic, In the middle of a pandemic.

And we had all the protocols because it was an in-person volunteer event.

So we had everybody.

People are already asking when can they sign up?

That's fantastic.

It's hard to believe that twenty twenty one is coming to an end, so I have to ask what are the goals for next year as twenty twenty two fast approaches?

For us, it's kind of twofold.

Our goal is to continue to grow our outreach within the business community and to make sure that businesses know how they can get connected and how they can participate as a team in support of nonprofits.

That's one and another area that we're really focusing on for our own internal sort of resource building is how our how our website is being used and how we can modify that to make it an easier like quick hit opportunity for people to get connected.

So we're spending some time in that as well.

Great.

So is there an opportunity for people if they're not ready to show up in person yet?

Is there a virtual volunteering option right now?

Well, that's and that's thank you for that question, because that is also for the volunteer center.

By the end of twenty twenty one will launch a skills connect platform, which is an opportunity for people to connect on a skilled based volunteer.

Ninety five percent virtual with organizations to help support in areas of accounting and marketing I.T.

anything that you can think of from a skills based need for an organization.

Karen Smith Wonderful things are happening at the volunteer center of the Lehigh Valley.

Thank you so much for that information.

Thanks for having Me.

Absolutely.

And on the next episode of Living in the Lehigh Valley, Halloween is just around the corner.

Another year of trying to balance fun and traditions of the season with safety.

We'll offer up some ways you can accomplish both for your kids and neighbors.

You look on the back label, you're going to see this is all just natural fruit.

So this truly is, you know, the first ingredient is listed as apples.

And so what we have here is just pureed apples turned into applesauce.

Ok, cool.

Plus pickle ball.

It's a game that even people who've had replacement knee surgery, a lot of the players that play with us have had double knee replacement surgery, and they're still going strong.

That's it for this episode of Living in the Lehigh Valley.

Join us next time.

I'm Brittany Sweeney hoping you stay happy and healthy.