• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Aurora Health Care Teams With Community Groups for Special Earth Day Neighborhood Cleanup

Posted on: Thursday, 16 April 2009, 16:35 CDT

Good Neighbor Day Homestyle volunteers to help with spring yard cleanup

in neighborhoods across eastern Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Earth Day will have an extra special meaning for many eastern Wisconsin residents who are unable to handle their spring yard work this year. Aurora Health Care will conduct Good Neighbor Day Homestyle on Saturday, April 25. This community event, to be held in conjunction with Earth Day, involves volunteers providing basic yard services to Aurora patients and other residents in need.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090303/CG78204LOGO-b)

On that Saturday morning from 8:00 a.m. to Noon, more than 300 community volunteers will visit over 100 homes where age, illness or other reasons prevent residents from keeping up with their yard work and basic landscaping projects aren't being done. Recipients of the spring cleaning were nominated by physicians, nurses and pharmacists who provide their care.

"Good Neighbor Day Homestyle offers a new opportunity for neighbor to help neighbor and enhance the environment in the many communities we live and serve," said Kimberly Welch, Aurora senior vice president of corporate affairs. "We are caregivers in so many ways. Each day, patients rely on Aurora for medical care and other support services. As a not-for-profit, our responsibility extends beyond providing the best patient care, it's important for Aurora to be a good community partner. We're pleased to lead this effort, which has gained the support of so many other individuals and community leaders who want to join us in being good neighbors."

Aurora caregivers are partnering with a number of other community leaders and groups along with business partners for a morning of spring cleaning outside. They include GE Healthcare, the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Boy Scout Troop 580, Girl Scout Troop 1453, school groups and others.

"Aurora's caregivers and volunteers are providing a valuable service that is not only good for the environment, it is good for our residents," said state Rep. Jason Fields of Milwaukee. He intends to participate in his community.

The residents who are benefiting from this extra help include:

• A couple in their 80's. The husband suffers from Alzheimer's disease and the grandmother has been diagnosed with dementia.
• A resident who is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.
• A 71-year old resident who has no family to help her with yard work.
• A 98-year old woman whose daughter is very ill and unable to help around the house.

"I'm volunteering for Aurora Good Neighbor Day Homestyle because it is a wonderful opportunity to lend a hand to someone needing a little extra help. I'm giving a few hours of my time to take care of a patient's home while they focus on healing," said Elizabeth Clarke, an Aurora caregiver. "This is also a great chance to connect with the community where I live and work and help improve the environment around me."

Sponsors of the Aurora Good Neighbor Day Homestyle include WW Grainger, Bradley Center, Travel Leaders in Hales Corners & Oak Creek, Pitt Plastics, Inc., and San-A-Care.

"As a not-for-profit health system, we're especially grateful to the companies and organizations that teamed with us through their sponsorship of the day," Welch said.

Aurora Health Care is a not-for-profit Wisconsin health care provider and a national leader in efforts to improve the quality of care. Aurora provides care at sites in more than 90 communities throughout eastern Wisconsin.

Online Newsroom: www.Aurora.org/Newsroom

SOURCE Aurora Health Care

Source: PR Newswire

More News in this Category