by Kelly Field, Public Relations

Hermina Traeye Nursing Home residents receive a visit from the College of Nursing students. Along with the visit, the students also brought much needed items like, socks, tooth brushes and bars of soap.

When Cathy Hunnicutt asked employees of the Hermina Traeye Nursing Home for a wish list last Christmas, she was expecting the usual requests: clothing, money, maybe a Caribbean vacation or two.

The reply came back with one simple word: Socks. “I was just blown away," said an incredulous Hunnicutt, a College of Nursing (CON) student. "I thought that they would ask for something big."

But Hunnicutt, who has since set up receptacles throughout campus to collect the socks, should have been conditioned to a less-than-extravagant response. Only two months before, when she and fellow CON student Jennifer Smith first solicited a list, the call had been for toothbrushes and bars of soap.

“We found Medicare was not reimbursing them for these personal care products,” said Hunnicutt, explaining how she conceived of her collection project while on a required rotation at the home last fall. “We didn't have a volunteer project at the college and we thought that it was something we could help with.”

And help they did. With the donations of the MUSC community and several drug stores, they managed to collect hundreds of toothbrushes and bars of soap. They then traveled to the home to distribute the gifts, accompanied by the Cainhoy Miracle Revival Church choir.

“It was incredible, people were crying,” said Hunnicutt of the music-accompanied Nov. 7 visit. “I think there was something about the combination of gospel music and the Lowcountry music that they grew up with that just touched them somehow. It was so neat to bring that to them.”

Activity/program director Robert Cooper agreed. “Their presence has been a breath of fresh air to our residents here,” he effused. “I really can't adequately describe how they respond. The best word perhaps is joy.”

But Hunnicutt, who co-founded the CON “Angels for Elders” program after this successful visit, said that the rewards have been reciprocal.

“It's so easy to maintain their needs with minimal effort,” she said. “They are so thankful just to see somebody, and the payback is phenomenal. These people are the history of Charleston and they have a lot of stories to tell.”

Speaking in an interview last week, Hunnicutt said the group's next goal is to help purchase a wheelchair-accessible van for the handicapped. Residents currently have no means of leaving the home without assistance from family or friends.

“They are cognitively adept but socially isolated,” explained Cooper. “Without transportation, their stay can become prison-like.”

If the project is successful, many of the residents will leave the home for the first time since they arrived.

“It's my major goal before graduation,” said Hunnicutt, who will be replaced next year.

And with two collections behind her, Hunnicutt is confident that she and the rest of the Angels for Elders volunteers will be able to meet the most recent request: denture containers, soap containers, white wash cloths, combs and brushes.

“I figure if we can do toothbrushes and socks, we can also do denture containers,” she laughed. “We've put the receptacles out around the campus, and of course, we always welcome monetary donations.”

To make a donation, monetary or otherwise, to the Angels for Elders program, call 851-6029 or e-mail cathy.hunnicutt@gte.net. Health care items can be dropped off at stations located throughout the campus.