Deaconess Nurse Ministry’s Nurse Cindy Cares for Neediest St. Louisans

The good deeds of and spirit of the Christmas season deserve to be celebrated year-round, especially when they have lasting impacts on the lives of those they touch. Nurse Cindy of Deaconess Nurse Ministry in Bridgeton, Mo. certainly earned such a celebration last Christmas for her work connecting clients to the United Way of St. Louis. 

The United Way of St. Louis celebrated its 100^th year in 2022 and more than 50 years of partnering with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch running the 100 Neediest Cases campaign which features cases of individuals and families in need each year. 

Nurse Cindy helped worked with her clients for months to gather the information they needed to apply for consideration. In all she and the Deaconess Nurse Ministry team supported 22 people at two locations with their applications. In the process, she learned more about their current situations, seeing at the grassroots level the needs of those she served. Thanks in part to her efforts, many of Nurse Cindy’s clients received financial assistance, in-kind support or both. 

One client, 86-year-old Ms. M., was particularly touched by the generous support she received thanks to Nurse Cindy’s help. New to the area, Ms. M. has lived in independent senior housing for about a year and needed support turning her new apartment into a home. After being adopted through the campaign, she received assistance to help pay her bills and purchase food for holiday meals, in addition to the furniture, curtains, and bedding she needed to transform her apartment. “It feels like home now,” Ms. M. note, recognizing the small changes that meant the world to her. 

Nurse Cindy cares for as many as she can each week, meeting her clients through a homeless meal program and affordable housing. She is passionate about Deaconess Nurse Ministry’s Call to care for all. 

Reflecting on how memorable this experience was, Nurse Cindy remarked, “’Thank you’ with a sincere smile on the face, eyes of happiness that would melt your heart for all of the volunteers caring for everyone in the 100 Neediest cases will not be forgotten.”