Students who lead the St. Francis College Nursing Club recently arranged donations of 500 surgical masks to the Cobble Hill Health Center, a not-for-profit long and short term care facility in Brooklyn providing services to the disabled and elderly, and to the New York City Police Department's 76th Precinct in South Brooklyn, to help curtail the spread of COVID-19 among area residents.

"One of the four main goals of The Nursing Club is to 'Be Franciscan," said Nicole Taliercio, a senior Nursing major and co-President of the Club. "Believing and living by Franciscan values, we refused to sit back during this difficult time; we wanted to serve our community in every way possible."

Taliercio approached a local Brooklyn business to propose it contribute surgical masks – which it typically uses in the course of its own operations -- to the Club's efforts. She then coordinated to provide those supplies to the Cobble Hill Health Center, whose residents, because of their age and medical conditions, can be more susceptible to the effects COVID-19, an infectious respiratory disease. She also set up a donation to the NYPD 76th Precinct for its personnel to use in the course of their work with the public.

The SFC Nursing Club has a tradition of philanthropic activity. In fall of 2019, it spearheaded the College's first Stockings for Soldiers campaign, collecting items that filled 112 stockings shipped to members of the U.S. military stationed around the globe.

The 60 members of the Nursing Club are enrolled in St. Francis College's nursing program. The College offers two degree

tracks for nurses: a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing that qualifies students to take the RN (Registered Nurse) licensing exam upon completion; and the RN to B.S. program, in which nurses who have their RN licenses but only an Associate's Degree can take additional coursework to earn their B.S.

Taliercio worked with her colleagues on the Club's student executive team to organize the donations. They are Sarah Berger, Alanis Beltrez, Monica Caban, Cristina Quiles and Ivana Crandon. Club members dropped off the supplies to the Cobble Hill Health Center on April 7th, and at the 76th Precinct on April 9th.

"COVID-19 may be taking away our ability to live a normal life, but it will never take away our love, hope, faith, and determination to overcome this pandemic," Taliercio wrote in a letter to Donny Tuchman, Chief Executive Officer of Cobble Hill Health Center, which is located less than one mile from St. Francis College's Brooklyn Heights campus. "Though for this time-period we physically cannot stand beside each of you, please know that each of you are not alone."