Friday, September 26, 2008

NURSING A DESIRE TO HELP


Filipina Nurse Heads a Charitable Group of Health Professionals

By Yong B. Chavez
FilipinOnline.com


Las Vegas resident Nenita Rattanopas is a mother of two, a registered nurse, a dreamer, and a big-hearted Filipina.

She leads From The Heart Charitable Group, a nurse-organized organization, in its mission to "serve the community and/or people from other countries by coordinating acts of charity or volunteer work from individuals or groups."

Theirs is a small yet steadily growing organization that has big philanthropic plans.

They recently lent a helping hand to a 6 month-old Filipino child named Mikayla Faye Kaiama who needed a liver transplant. The group has also raised funds for the American Cancer Society.

To help more people, this October 11, they will hold their annual charity ball at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. [To donate, visit their website From The Heart Charitable Group, or contact Nenita at nenita_r@fromtheheartcharity.org.]

In this Q&A with FilipinOnline, this admirable Pinay reveals more about their group and their plans.

FilipinOnline: Tell me all about your organization.
Nenita Rattanopas: From The Heart Charitable Group is composed of a multicultural group of healthcare professionals whose vision is to become a premier nurse-organized and nonprofit charitable group supporting other established organizations or individuals to improve quality of life and alleviate suffering. We carry out this mission through fundraising activities, volunteer work or medical missions.

What is your motivation in starting this organization?
In my line of work, I‘ve seen so much pain and suffering. I want to make a positive difference and help improve people’s quality of life.

What are the challenges you've encountered since starting the organization?
Our biggest challenge, of course, is raising the money needed to carry out our mission. We are spending our own money for the most part. We are a “young group” with no prior experience about fundraising, but we are all learning together. Our common and primary goal is to help others who genuinely need help.

What are your dreams for the organization?
My dream for this organization is to eventually get all of the healthcare professionals in Southern Nevada, especially nurses, involved in working, donating or volunteering for a good cause. We plan to do four small projects and one huge event each year.

Tell me about the charity ball. Who will it benefit?
Our 2nd annual charity ball event will be on Oct 11, 2008 from 7 PM to 11 PM at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino. Tickets cost $95 per person that includes a nice dinner, entertainment, fashion show with cancer survivors as models, and dancing. We are expecting 250 guests and proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.

Would you like to make an appeal to our kababayans to help?
To our kababayans, let’s get involved. We are lucky to have stable jobs. Let us give back to our community, let us help the “not-so-lucky ones” and let us make this world a better place for our children and our children’s children.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

For most of us at UMC, Ms. Nenita or Ate Nitz has always been a model of leadership, compassion, and selflessness.She is "the light" that shines for us young ones to emulate. Thank God for angels like her.

Anonymous said...

She is one of the nurses at UMC CCU/CVCU that cares what goes on in the units/hospital.

Anonymous said...

What a great way to help a charitable cause. more power to your organization and I hope that more people will get involve, help and share others that are in need.

Anonymous said...

Nitz goes beyond from her profession. Besides being a mother and caring nurse, she goes more to helping people in her simple way. And she was able to prod people to do the same. She's an inspiration. Kudos Nitz!

Anonymous said...

It felt good being able to share the joy of doing fund raising to help the afflicted,friends, and love ones. This is truly a work of compassion,dedication,on the part of our organizer Nenita.Who thought of doing this the fact that she just move here barely few yrs. ago from Chicago.She is the model Nightingale to look upon.We hope for more success on this endeavor and we encouraged all to support her.Thanks

Anonymous said...

proud of you ate nitz,you are an inspiration to all of us, a good person with a big heart helping people in her best way,keep it up! and more events to come!


johanna
valley hospital medical center

Anonymous said...

Hi Nitz,

Leadership, compassion and stewardship= these are all compounded to represent the whole of you !!

Good luck,

Moi B.
Mgr. CM/SS-STR

Anonymous said...

sana merong about sa modeling workshop! =] heheheh! beautiful_pain02@y.c