Hometown
Heroes National Nurses Week is May 6-12. Join us in recognizing the work of five local nurses and saying thank you to all of the amazing people who are involved in this profession.
Nancy Plaff and Hope Barwick - Matthew’s Hope
D
uring the current healthcare crisis, nurses at Matthew’s Hope go into the community twice a week to care for the homeless men, women and children at the organization’s 14 traditional houses as well as those living in cars and on the streets. Matthew’s Hope founder, Scott Billue, says the blood pressure and temperature of everyone they see to ensure no one is displaying symptoms of COVID-19. They are also distributing masks, sanitizer and wipes to keep them protected as well as filling prescriptions and re-visiting patients to ensure they’re taking their medications. “They are on the front lines to care for them and keep caring for them,” Billue says. Hope Barwick Both Plaff and Barwick understand that everyone has a story and the individuals they’re helping may have fallen on hard times due to no fault of their own. That’s why the work they do is so important to them. “I feel we are all given a heart and two hands,” Plaff says. “Whatever we can do for someone else, we need to. I choose to work for the homeless because they count. To be able to touch someone who has not been touched in years, to hold a hand, to give a smile, to give a hug to someone —it’s important to them and it’s important to me.” Barwick explains that whether working in a Nancy Plaff hospital setting or working directly with anyone struggling, we’ve all been there. “Working with the underserved and the homeless, so many people work paycheck to paycheck,” she says. “I think with the pandemic, we will see homelessness has many different faces, and it’s important to give help.”
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Central Florida Lifestyle | May 2020
