Local groups team up to donate masks during pandemic
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals, families and businesses in Las Vegas are stepping up to offer relief to people in the community who are in need of food, services and support. Here are stories about people who are leading with kindness and proving the community is #VegasStrong.
Local groups team up to donate masks
St. Rose Dominican Health Foundation’s Rose Bud Auxiliary and the Sun City Anthem Sewing Club are donating masks to local organizations during the pandemic.
Rose Bud Auxiliary, which works to advance the quality of health care in the community through volunteerism and fundraising, partnered with the club to help distribute more than 2,600 masks.
Sharron Grodzinsky, publicity and communications director for Rose Bud Auxiliary, says 100 masks are available right now and, “we’ll continue to make them.”
Donations were given to S.A.F.E. House, Nathan Adelson Hospice, Cactus Valley Residential and others, with Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena campus, receiving 1,940 masks.
Organizations in need of masks, or individuals interested in joining Rose Bud Auxiliary, can email Sherry Eischen at rosebudauxiliary.sherry@gmail.com.
— Madelon Hynes
Woman opens rental home to health care workers
A nurse was sleeping in her car at night, staying in parking lots to avoid putting her family at risk.
Alona Burns heard her story from a friend and decided to act.
The owner of group fitness gym Tough Mudder Bootcamp in North Las Vegas, Burns also has a rental house, which became empty a month ago when the tenants moved out. Instead of putting the property back on the market, Burns had something else in mind.
“I was thinking about the people who worked in the hospitals or the firefighters who because they were exposed to COVID-19 patients, they were afraid to go home — especially if they live with parents or have big families,” she recalls.
Burns contacted to the nurse though their mutual acquaintance and she moved into the house shortly thereafter.
But Burns wasn’t through yet.
She made an online post and told her friends to spread the word. Soon enough, another nurse took up residence in her rental home.
What’s more, the neighbors in the community helped stock the house by donating essentials such as toilet paper and laundry detergent.
“We’re also very careful about sanitizing, ” Burns says. She has Super Maids clean, and “they do hospital-level sanitizing every week. So it will be safe for people who live there.”
Currently, Burns has two more open rooms available, which interested parties can inquire about by contacting her at facebook.com/alona.alonachka.
— Jason Bracelin
The District debuts family program
The District is launching “Karla’s Adventures” on its Facebook page at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
The 30-minute virtual program will feature guest performers, stories, songs and craft activities children can do at home. The show is based on the tales of Auntie Karla, who lives in a cottage in the woods, and is friends with animals, including Lola the dog, Bingo the Bunny and more.
To send a happy birthday shout out to boys and girls celebrating during the week, parents can enter the first name and age of their child on the center’s Facebook page on Tuesdays. One child will be randomly chosen to receive a gift card at the end of each program. For details, visit facebook.com/thedistrictgvr.
— Madelon Hynes
Submit stories of kindness to Janna Karel at jkarel@reviewjournal.com or on Twitter and Instagram @jannainprogress or to Madelon Hynes at mrhynes@reviewjournal.com
