Elgin hospital holds food, hygiene supply drive

In an effort to give back to the community that's been so supportive of health care workers, Advocate Sherman Hospital is having a food and hygiene supply drive that will benefit nonprofits in Elgin.

The food drive, with a focus on tuna, pasta, oatmeal, Ensure and diabetic-friendly foods, will benefit Food for Greater Elgin. The collection of diapers, baby wipes and cleaning supplies will go to the Salvation Army in Elgin.

The drive began Monday and will end.

The hospital's nursing team collaborated with the hospital's community health department to hold the drive, and the entire staff participated in the donation.

The nursing team embarks on an initiative every year to give back during National Nurses Week, which ends Sunday, said Donna Cruse, nurse manager for Sherman's ER department. This May also is the first National Nurses Month and 2020 was designed "Year of the Nurse" to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.

Hospital staff members have received lots of donations from the community during the COVID-19 pandemic - meals, face masks, face shields, moisturizer and even jewelry for raffles - and want to give their support to people suffering economically, Cruse said.

This is the food drive's second year and donations already have surpassed last year's, said Tina Link, Sherman's manager of community health.

"As hospital health care providers, anyone in those four walls, we have felt such overwhelming support from the community in different ways," Link said. "We felt that was the best opportunity to give back to those in the greatest need right now."