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Christmas comes early to Carolyn's House resident

One of the original residents of Carolyn's House got an early Christmas present last week from Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.

President & CEO Joseph A. Ruffolo announced that Memorial has agreed to sponsor Yashika Campbell as she pursues her education at Niagara County Community College to become a registered nurse.  

The medical center's sponsorship will offset the expenses associated with a nursing education and allow Ms. Campbell and her 9-year-old daughter to remain at Carolyn's House as Yashika completes her associate's degree.  In return, she has made a commitment to work at Memorial or one of its health network affiliates after she graduates.

Yashika is a domestic violence survivor who was felled by a stroke at age 28 – shortly after she had started a new job and moved into a new apartment with her daughter.  As a result of the stroke, she lost that job and found herself homeless. 

Carolyn's House, a supportive housing program operated by the YWCA of Niagara, gave Yashika an opportunity to regain her health and enroll in a career skills program.  That program allowed her to demonstrate her obvious academic ability and confirmed that she has the skills needed for patient care.

Carolyn's House and the YWCA encouraged her to pursue a career as a registered nurse.   Yashika completed her first semester in NCCC's nursing program this month while working part-time at the YMCA in Niagara Falls.

"Memorial's sponsorship of this hardworking young woman will let her pursue a noble profession, provide financial stability for herself and her daughter, and become an impressive role model for other women determined to overcome overwhelming odds," said Kathleen A. Granchelli, chief operating officer of the YWCA of Niagara. 

"We're grateful to Memorial for taking the lead in providing this opportunity and we're hoping other community partners will want to help qualified Carolyn's House residents who are ready to pursue careers and give something back to the community," Granchelli added.

The YWCA of Niagara has been working to improve the lives of women and girls since 1915.

Ruffolo said the Greater Niagara region's shortage of registered nurses and Memorial's recent growth made the decision to sponsor Yashika an easy one.

"The real winners will be the patients this talented nursing candidate will care for here over the course of her career," Ruffolo said. "We look forward to welcoming her to the Memorial team."