The December 30 issue of HUPdate focused on many of our holiday outreach activities but not all!
Michael Restuccia, chief IS officer, UPHS; Patrick Norton, director of State and Local Affairs in Government Relations and Community Outreach; Marc Kaplan, director of Communications; Courtney Mengel, associate director of Federal Affairs in Government Relations and Community Outreach; and Lee Dobkin, chief counsel, UPHS, contributed their time and muscle to the Great Turkey Toss.
Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, needed volunteers to help pack donated food for distribution, and several HUP nurses, their families – and two Pipeline students -- answered the call. Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell also needed volunteers, for her 12th Annual Holiday Party for the Homeless and Disadvantaged and to wrap gifts for the event. Thirty-five Penn Medicine employees spent the Saturday before Christmas wrapping gifts, and over 50 volunteers helped out at the holiday dinner, serving more than 5,000 adults and children. And all the children received a gift!
Phyllis Murray of Administration, who led the Holly Days effort, reported that, as their ‘Santa’ truck pulled up to one of the shelters receiving gifts, all the moms were waiting outside in anticipation. “Usually the children stay inside but one little girl was just so excited when she saw the bicycles being handed off the truck and kept asking if one was for her,” she said. Luckily, one had her name on it. “She was just so happy that she made everyone else happy just watching her.”
Janice Scott and Johnnie Mae Latham of Social Work were among 50 Penn Medicine employees who helped out at Councilwoman Blackwell's annual holiday dinner.
Also helping out at the holiday dinner were (standing, l. to r) Joann Jones, Theresa David, John Janowski, and Victoria Brown of Rhoads 4; Sonja Ogden, from the Office of the Dean, Pam Mack-Brooks of HUP Nursing Community Outreach, Miriam Yorkman of PPMC Detox center, Laura Lombardo, of Government Relations and Community Outreach, and Frances Bennett of Nursing Education, Innovation and Professional Development. (Kneeling, l. to r.) Shanae Jones (daughter of Joann), and Monique Judge and Kate Ventura, also of Rhoads 4.
As part of HUP’s Nursing Community Outreach program, several nurses and their families helped pack food for distribution by Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization.
