Three Rivers Donates PPE Supplies To Local Hospitals

Three Rivers Community College has donated all of its personal protective equipment supplies to Backus Hospital (Hartford Health Care) and L+M Hospital (Yale New Haven Health) to help with the critical shortage of supplies during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Upon receiving the full support of Three Rivers President Mary Ellen Jukoski, supplies were gathered from both the Nursing program and the Science labs.

Nursing Laboratory Coordinator Denise Cortegiano and Assistant Professor of Nursing Cindy Arpin gathered the supplies from both the Nursing and Allied Health Laboratories. Supplies included 189 PPE gowns, over 2,000 masks, 5,700 gloves and assorted equipment sanitizer and protective eye gear and caps. The supplies were divided evenly and delivered to each facility by Arpin on Tuesday, March 24. The decision as to where the donations would go was coordinated in a state-wide effort by the CT League for Nursing Deans and Directors. Each School of Nursing partnered with their local clinical affiliates.

Three Rivers also brought 4,000 additional gloves to Backus Hospital that had been supplies for in the science labs.

President Mary Ellen Jukoski said “In these unprecedented times with local hospitals facing shortages, it’s important for Three Rivers to share PPE supplies that would otherwise be sitting in closets while the college is closed. We must all work together during this time to support one another.”

Three Rivers, and all other Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, transitioned to virtual learning as of March 20 for the remainder of the spring semester. College staff is telecommunicating and is available daily to assist registration by current and future students for the summer and fall semesters.

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In the News | Three Rivers Veterans Organization donates 80 Thanksgiving Dinners to Norwich Vet Center

When Marie Parry became the president of the Three Rivers Community College Veterans Organization, she took the commitment seriously. When it came time to plan for the annual Thanksgiving drive, she really wanted to do more. Historically, the organization has donated between 20 and 50 turkeys to the Norwich Vet Center. Marie wanted to change that to donations of whole meals, and she wanted to meet the needs of the center, which was over 75 dinners. To meet a need that big, Parry needed to involve all of the Three River’s community.

With the help and blessing of Alycia Ziegler, Director of Student Programing, Parry invited all of the student clubs to be responsible for the donation a food item for the baskets. Fourteen student organizations pulled together to donate all the necessary items: Student Programs Office, Student Government Association, Business Club, SIGMA, Video Game Club, Anime Club, Campus Activity Board, SAGE, Student Nursing Association, Three Rivers United Environmentalists, Karaoke Club, American Institute of Architecture Students, and the Three Rivers Aquatic Activists. Two outside organizations from the community also donated food and resources, the Stitch Chicks of the North Franklin Quilt Shop and the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association – Nathan Hale Chapter.

Food was collected for three weeks, and so much was gathered that, after the 80 baskets were pulled together for the Veteran Center, there was enough left over to donate to the Three Rivers food pantry and other local Thanksgiving drives. Transporting the baskets to the Norwich Veteran’s Center took a U-Haul truck and a pick-up filled with turkeys. Parry, a veteran who is studying environmental engineering and environmental health and safety, says, “right now, I am tired, but next year I want to do a hundred baskets.”

In the News

News 8 WTNH – Three Rivers Community College helping Veterans this Thanksgiving

The Day – Three Rivers vets, other student clubs donate 80 Thanksgiving dinners to the Norwich Vet Center.

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