Sending Supplies Overseas
Two years ago, alarming news about a new virus with a high infection rate grew quickly from a faraway menace to a frightening certainty. Fortunately, Cross Keys Village was ahead of the curve. As part of our comprehensive plan to protect vulnerable residents, the purchasing department had ordered an abundance of medical supplies to prepare for an ongoing pandemic crisis within our walls.
Thankfully we were spared the first wave of illness that affected many nursing homes in the spring of 2020. As a consequence, a number of those supplies were never used, and items eventually reached their “use by” date, making them unsuitable for use on our campus. Expired items are allowed to be used in an emergency, however, such as the humanitarian crisis brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Director of Purchasing Linda Laird heard the cry from Hanover Family Practice Associates to local healthcare organizations, asking for unused medical supplies that could be donated. These items were to be shipped overseas to NATO member Poland and directly aid Ukrainian refugees who find themselves uprooted there. “We were very happy to find out there was a way we could help,” said Linda. “These supplies, if not donated, would end up in the dumpster.”
Among the supplies Cross Keys Village was able to contribute to this generous effort were disposable gowns, gloves, face masks, bed sheets, bed pads, blankets, as well as briefs and pads that are needed to treat wounds. A resourceful CKV leader for 25 years – and one who hates waste in any form – Linda packed every cubic inch of her SUV for multiple trips to drop off the supplies.
It is not the first time our mission goes beyond our campus, and now we’re directly assisting those across the pond. As President and CEO Jeff Evans noted, Galatians 6:2 directs us to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” In response to this command, we were glad for this opportunity to help ease the suffering in Ukraine and surrounding nations, through a concrete initiative that unites local healthcare providers in a good cause.