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MUSC Families First North tower neighbors help children, families by Cindy Abole Public Relations Guiding staff and helping employees do their job effectively is standard for nurse manager Julie Adam of the hospital options pool. Representatives of the north tower with the Families First Angel Tree. So when she learned about MUSC’s participation in Families First Angel Tree project, she recognized it to be a worthwhile holiday effort that needed additional support to be successful. She contacted project coordinator Liz Nista and immediately relieved her of 230 Families First Angel Tree tags. “At first, I didn’t know how to begin,” said Adam, who has an office located on the second floor of the north tower, main hospital. “Although the concept of helping people during the holidays is a familiar one, I didn’t think many people were aware of the MUSC Families First project and its potential for helping others, especially struggling co-workers and their families.” Adam had always considered the area beside her office as a high-traffic location within the hospital. Being adjacent to the main hospital’s elevators, the location is also close to an employee time clock.  “I thought if we could display the angels on a Christmas tree, people would take time and stop and take an angel,” she said. Adam’s hunch paid off. North tower’s second floor is composed of a medley of hospital business departments including communications, compliance, hospital legal, outcomes management, home health, patient safety and satisfaction, hospital patient accounting and staff offices. Prior to Thanksgiving Day, Adam shared her idea with work neighbors. Some departments responded by donating funds to help purchase the area’s Christmas tree for the project. Later that week, Adam and other co-workers completed their tree decorating with project angels. “Knowing that this project has the potential to assist co-workers and their families is the part I like the best,” said Nancy Pope, hospital compliance. “Seeing the children’s names on the angel cut-outs remind me that what I’m doing is potentially helping another member of MUSC’s family.” Co-worker Beth Bair is supportive of the effort.  “I feel like I’m participating in something really worthwhile,” said Bair, of the joint MUSC and Salvation Army holiday project. “Participating in this helps me get into the spirit of the season.”  Reece Smith, also of compliance, is also glad to help out.  “Participating in the Families First Angel Tree project was very easy,” said Smith, the mother of two girls, ages 7 and 12. “Each holiday, my family always try to participate in a holiday project benefitting children. The angel tree is very easy for us. It’s a great project because it helps my kids see and understand what Christmas and the holiday season is all about.” Throughout the Lowcountry, the Salvation Army has teamed with area businesses to assist families and individuals have a chance to enjoy a special holiday season complete with warm meals, toys and other necessities. At MUSC, different departments and programs have committed their support in the Families First project by requesting angel tags to display in their work areas. Each tag displays the name of a needy child or individual, their age and gender.  So far, the Lowcountry Families First Holiday project has announced that they will be able to help more than 3,100 Charleston area children under age 12—that’s 1,000 more children than last year, according to Nista. Participants are asked to take an angel tag and return it with their unwrapped gift to their Families First work area coordinator or bring it to the campuswide Dec. 17 holiday celebration at the MUSC horseshoe between 1-2 p.m. For information about obtaining angels, coordinating present pick-up or MUSC Families First, call Elizabeth Nista, 792-8382 or e-mail nistal@musc.edu.    Friday, Dec. 10, 2004 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.