Anita Lowe is a clinical instructor at the University of Texas at Tyler School of Nursing—Longview University Center.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Anita about why she continues to bring nursing students to help with sorting medical supplies at the Longview office, and volunteering in the bi-weekly clinic at Hiway 80 Rescue Mission. She replied:
“Refuge International assists vulnerable populations both locally and internationally. Their primary focus on basic healthcare, adequate nutrition, and education serves not only the remote areas of Guatemala but also our local homeless population. In collaboration with Hiway 80 Rescue Mission and local volunteer doctors and nurses, they serve to meet these needs here at home. This offers me a unique opportunity to grow student nurses in the service of these populations. Nowhere else can they learn the skills of how to therapeutically communicate with the vulnerable homeless population and create a partnership to improve their healthcare. This is accomplished with improved access to healthcare and a nurturing environment that promotes the self-efficacy the patients need to transition out of homelessness. Refuge International significantly enriches my life, and the lives of my students, as they serve the vulnerable here in Longview, Texas.”
