College of Nursing students deliver valentines to Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home

Lauren Prescott serves as philanthropic liaison for Augusta University’s College of Nursing Student Leadership Organization (SLO) for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) junior class. During the break between fall and spring semester, Prescott was determined to create a philanthropic event that would give back to the community while ensuring everyone’s safety. She thought back to her time in elementary school, when classmates exchanged Valentine’s Day cards, and how excited she was to receive them.

Prescott’s idea involved her classmates creating Valentine’s Day cards for residents of senior care facilities in Augusta. She reached out to BSN program director Dr. Deborah Smith, who connected with the faculty at Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home to receive the cards. With the support of Smith and the faculty at Georgia War, Prescott pitched the idea to rest of the junior SLO.

Louisa Shepherd, SLO president, was thrilled to give back to Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home.

“It is home to so many men and women who sacrificed years of their lives for the safety of others. As future nurses, we can look to them as examples of those who live for others,” she said.

With the junior BSN class broken up into three cohorts to satisfy social distancing classroom guidelines, representatives from SLO announced the project at each of their class meetings. SLO provided supplies to create the cards during class breaks.

There are over 100 residents at Georgia War and each will receive a handmade Valentine’s Day card.

“During difficult times like these, I want to make sure these residents know they are loved and that the BSN students are wishing them joy on Valentine’s Day,” Prescott said.

The junior BSN class finished the project Monday, Feb. 8, and Prescott was able to deliver 136 cards just in time for Valentine’s Day.