The School of Nursing Staff Council workgroup collates a list of resources and tools for networking and sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) Staff Council has a community engagement workgroup that organizes opportunities for staff and faculty to participate in volunteer experiences, fundraising events, and donation drives for items of need.
The workgroup, which consists of 12 UMSON staff members, recently held a virtual meeting to discuss whether we could help address any current needs in the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) community. What quickly came up is that our own employees might have a need for food or other supplies — there may be some who can’t find toilet paper in their neighborhood stores, need help to pick up groceries or other supplies for themselves or a loved one. Others may be able to help direct people to resources or pick up/drop off items to those in need.
Networking and sharing resources with each other are hugely important right now, and this group wanted to make it easier for our colleagues to do just that. The workgroup researched and collated a list of community-based resources that allow you to register with your specific neighborhood to network and share information with those nearby; the list also includes links to local emergency community resources. The resource list is available on UMSON’s COVID-19 webpage so that interested colleagues can easily access the information.
While collating resources is a small task, this project is a shining example of what we all need right now: connection with each other. I’m proud to work with this group of staff members who care deeply about their colleagues at UMSON and in the larger UMB community.