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March
Volume 10
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&
2001
2,
Number
24
Serving Catholics
Inside
Staff Writer
Fleming is "Andy Griffith she works in the town of
often reminded of the
Nussbaum funeral
Show"
standing room only
as
Belmont. She compares herself to the that she feels like a fixture in the town's everyday life. Even as a Northern transplant, she says that the citizens have treated her as one of their own, and she and her neighbors have grown to respect and admire one another for the gifts all have to offer. It is because of her dedication as a parish nurse to the health and wellness of her adopted community that she was honored as the Belmont citizen of the year. For more than 30 years, the Belmont Chamber of Commerce has chosen a person who "has contributed to the well-being of the Belmont community through leadership of service roles" to be named as the citizen of the year. The Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors sift through nominations advertised in the town's newspap 01 to find tlie person who fits the characteristics, and this year, Fleming's w ork stood out from among the rest of the entries. "She (Fleming) definitely fits all those categories," said Beth Rutledge, Chamber of Commerce director. "She is a very caring person who is well-worthy of the title because she does so much for Belmont by helping people who cannot afford private or personal nurses. An award such as this makes people aware of the type of people who live here and what we are doing for our community." Reverend Dr. Richard Boyce, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, was one of those who nominated Fleming for the award. "She (Fleming) has dreamed a great dream of the churches mobilizing to help their members be better stewards of their health and to help us as a community reach out to those who do not have access to health care. She is a real servant of Jesus Christ, and we are proud to call her our citizen of the year and claim her as our parish nurse not only for our congregation but also for this community." To say that Fleming was more than a little surprised would be an understatement. "I was shocked and amazed. I had no idea. I didn't take it so much as it being just an award for me. I took it as an affirmation of the program and the work I do. It is really bolstering to have had this happen because you know you
Aunt Bee character in
Page 4
Capuchin sees lesson Earnhardt tragedy .Page
Local
5
News
'
Christian
musician
reaches out in
song ...Page
7
Deacon's ministry
supported by wife
...Page
16
Every Week Entertainment
Editorials
.Pages
10-11
.Pages
12-13
& Columns
"Ask and
it
will
be given to
are on the right track."
Fleming has followed
you; seek find,
and you
will
knock and the door
be opened to you."
Matthew
a track that
she says
God
Through
a series of what she calls
incidents,"
will
Western North Carolina
in
the Diocese of Charlotte
BY ALESHA M. PRICE
BELMONT— Cheryl
in
in
in
her
life
has
mapped out
Fleming says
for her.
"God-
that everything
has been in preparation for her
ministry as a parish nurse.
7:
Her training and experience
as a
medical and surgical nurse and an inten-
Belmont nurse recognized for
community work sive care nurse in her
home of Pennsylwork at Hos-
God
pice of
Gaston County, a
minally
ill
patients. After
to
as a
duties involve constant interaction with
moving first
volunteer, then as a patient care and
nursing coordinator. pice,
ing.
but
I
"I felt
called to
Hos-
also felt called to parish nurs-
Father Richard Hokanson, pastor of the Apostles Catholic Church,
Queen of
offered to lend
me
the
money
more
from coast to coast over the past several years, and their
facility for ter-
North Carolina, she worked
directs you."
Parish nurses have become
vania prepared her for her
for the
and then an anonymous donor provided the money for my classes. This is an example of one of those 'God-inci-
visible in dioceses
the
community and involvement with
those
who may
not have sufficient medi-
cal attention otherwise.
"Parish nursing is recognized by the American Nursing Association as a subspecialty in that you have to take a
classes,
course that teaches die core curriculum.
dents.'
structured program and shouldn't be confused with home health services,"
I
believe that
you are
called to
various professions, and you have to
ten with your heart and
spirit.
Moreover,
chis
is
not
a
loosely
lis-
Then,
See
PARISH NURSE,
page
Photo by Alesha M. Price
Let the good times
roll
Three-year-old Clare Lohrmann sits for a face-painting session from Corrine Rupp, family life coordinator, at the Mardi Gras International Dinner held at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville on Feb. 25. The afternoon gathering included games, grab bags and mask decorating for the younger parishioners and bingo and a potluck dinner including ethnic dishes for the adults.
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