Service is always in season for The Nurse’s Nook

OCONTO COUNTY – In 2014, a school nurse in Oconto County proved that small acts of service can make a big difference by supplying local students with hygiene items from her car. Her work has been continuing for over a decade with The Nurse’s Nook, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing health risks among children in rural areas of Oconto County.

“Our mission is to ensure that every child, regardless of their financial situation, has access to the resources they need to thrive in school and beyond. By addressing these fundamental needs, we strive to remove barriers to learning and promote the dignity, confidence and success of all students,” explained Director of The Nurse’s Nook Emily Macha, BSN and RN.

To meet these needs, the organization provides food, clothing, hygiene products and other basic necessities to students in Oconto County school districts like Suring, Gillett, Oconto Falls, Lena, Coleman and Oconto.

The organization provides meals to over 200 families in these schools each week and stocks a closet full of clothing.

The Nurse’s Nook works with the school district to provide specific over-the-counter medications and hygiene products as well as gas cards so families can go to medical appointments.

These are tasks that the group has been doing since the first school nurse started.

“She carried supplies to schools for students in need. Not having public transportation, stores and medical offices close to schools made it hard for families that did not have time or funding to supply their children with basic needs,” Macha said.

Other basic needs they cover include the cost of new glasses for children without vision insurance and providing accessible mental health care opportunities.

“We have teamed up with Oak Ridge Therapy and now have them incorporated into the school districts seeing children at school during study hall or over lunch so that parents don’t have to miss work to bring their child to an appointment,” Macha shared.

Their care efforts have only expanded this holiday season with the 10th Annual Adopt-A-Family program. This program matched a child or family with a sponsor to ensure that no one goes without on Christmas by providing warm winter clothing for the kids and hygiene products for the whole household.

As an organization that supports families year-round, Macha and the other volunteers invite people to join in and make a difference in their community.

“The Nurses Nook would not be here without generous donations from members of our community… We are a non-profit, [so] we have to source all our funding and are run by volunteers in the community and schools to make our program work. If you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to your local community, please reach out,” she said.

Currently, the group is looking for non-perishable items to add to weekend backpack meals, monetary donations and volunteer members, especially board members. Donations can be sent to The Nurse’s Nook at PO Box 26, Oconto Falls.

For more information, follow The Nurse’s Nook on Facebook.