IN Norwin Spring 2014 | Page 8

in the LOOP What’s News in Norwin NO VETERAN DIES ALONE PROGRAM SHOWS ULTIMATE CARE AT TIME OF PASSING As part of the recently launched No Veteran Dies Alone (NVDA) Program, volunteers give “the most precious gift,” according to VA Pittsburgh Chaplain Alan Morris – their presence to veterans who may not have anyone to be with them in their final hour. Volunteers can speak, read or hold the hand of a veteran and be a comfort to him/her. They are on call when needed and often stay longer than required–because they want to. Susan Rogers of O’Hara and George Coppola of Collier are two volunteers who graduated from the first class of NVDA training in August. Since then, they have been on two vigils each with dying patients. Coppola, a Vietnam veteran, has extensive hospice experience with his mother and other loved ones in his life. He’s also known other veterans who died alone and wants to prevent that from happening to anyone else. Rogers has a 92-year-old World War Two veteran father who lives in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. She knows that if unable to be at his bedside should the time come, she’d like somebody to be there. Those who want to be on the NVDA team must first become registered VA Pittsburgh volunteers and train in the hospice or palliative care functions at the hospital before receiving additional NVDA training. All interested candidates will be evaluated through Chaplain Alan Morris, BCC, who can be reached at Alan. [email protected] or by calling 412.822.1861. GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP Let’s Pick it Up PA - March 1 to May 31 Join over 4 million volunteers in the nation’s largest annual community improvement program! Get involved in your community and register your event today! Registered events receive free cleanup supplies, such as bags, gloves and vests donated by PennDOT, the Department of Environmental Protection, and Keep America Beautiful (as supplies last). Free disposal during Pick It Up PA Days from April 12 to May 5 is sponsored by the Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association, and participating landfills. To register, visit the Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania official website at www.gacofpa. org or contact Michelle Dunn at 877.772.3673 x113 or [email protected]. NORTH HUNTINGDON ONE OF THE SAFEST CITIES SafeWise.com has compiled a list of the 50 safest cities in Pennsylvania collected from the most recent FBI Crime Report data. This independent research focused on cities and towns with a population of 10,000 or greater as of 2011. North Huntingdon Township ranked in the top 50 safest cities in the state, coming in at #44. The township was praised for its quality of life and reasonable cost of living, noting that the police department offers a number of programs in the community which make safety a priority while connecting with its youth and other groups. Both violent crime and crimes against property are below the state and national averages in the township. ■ Why do patients from across the country turn to us for concussion care? Because we have the most experienced concussion team in the nation. No one can see a concussion. And no one has more experience assessing, managing, and rehabilitating them than we do. As an international leader in the field, the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program’s team of experts is the most comprehensive in the region. We’ve set the standards of care for more than a decade and are dedicated to providing personalized treatment plans for athletes of all ages. Because a concussion is treatable, if you treat it right. To learn more, visit UPMC.com/Concussion. Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC is ranked among the nation’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. 6 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Norwin