The Nevada State College Student Nurses Association (NSC-SNA) recently helped put a little hop and hope in the steps of local children by collecting Easter basket donations for E Bunny. The E Bunny program, which has been in the community for 20 years, provides Easter baskets to underprivileged children and teens who would otherwise not receive one. Many of the children receiving these baskets are living in poverty and some are even homeless. The Nevada State Nurses Association jumped at the chance to partner with E Bunny a few years ago and has been rallying the community for donations ever since.
I think it is important for the NSC-SNA to be actively involved in community organizations, said Susan Growe, School of Nursing Lecturer. By encouraging our students to participate and be active in different programs such as E Bunny, our student nurses will be able to one day help educate their patients as far as what resources are available to them in the community, Growe continued.
Last year, the Student Nurses Association made astounding strides in their efforts to assist E Bunny. The students went the extra mile by asking local organizations if they would like to contribute to E Bunny and donate Easter baskets. Theses extra efforts paid off. Students were able to collect donated items worth well over $1,000 from local organizations, NSC faculty and staff, and the Henderson community. Despite the strained economy this year, Growe was optimistic the students had collected enough donations this year to match last year’s efforts.
Once all of the donations were collected, the student nurses delivered them to the E Bunny warehouse where they are then dispensed to organizations including Safe House, Heads Up, the Las Vegas City Mission, Clark County Social Services, and the Las Vegas Housing Authority.
While an Easter basket may seem like a small token to some, it symbolizes something much greater to the children and teens in need who receive them from E Bunny. The efforts on the part of the NSC-SNA for E Bunny once again demonstrated the School of Nursing’s commitment to educating not only aspiring nurses, but leaders actively engaged in the needs of the community. As Growe best explained, Instilling within our students now the importance of reaching out to the communities they will one day serve will help them develop into excellent nurses and leaders.
Nursing Students Partner with E Bunny to Brighten Easter for Local Children
