News
AWC student nurses lead community effort to deliver 250+ care packages
April 24, 2026Yuma, Ariz. (April 24, 2026) – Arizona Western College student nurses in the Iota Theta (IT) chapter of the Alpha Delta Nu honor society assembled and distributed more than 250 care packages for individuals experiencing homelessness as part of their spring service project.
With support from local businesses, including OrangeTheory Fitness, the students collected donations to fill over 250 care packages with essential items like snacks, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes, sunscreen, and lotion. They then distributed the kits throughout the community, along with bottled water, community resource information, and messages of encouragement.
“This project showed our students the power of compassion in action, of how small acts of kindness, when multiplied, can make an immediate and meaningful impact in our community,” said Professor Tracy Macdonald, who co-advises the IT Chapter with Professor Amber Ortega.
“It has been incredibly rewarding to witness the meaningful impact they are making in our community,” Ortega added. “This project, the projects before it, and the ones to come, serve as a powerful reminder that while individual efforts matter, it is through collaboration that we create lasting change. I commend each of these students for the difference they have made and for the integrity and heart they bring to the nursing profession. We also thank those who donated to help us make this project successful. We could not do it without the partners of our community.”
Over 50 students are currently active in the IT Chapter, with another cohort set to be inducted this May.
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About the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing:
As the national advocate for the over 1,100 associate degree nursing programs across the country, the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) works to advance excellence in nursing education and associate degree pathways into registered nursing careers. The organization aims to expand networks that promote leadership, collaboration, and advocacy to further enrich nursing education.
About the Alpha Delta Nu:
The Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society is the only honor society in the nation for Associate Degree Nursing students. Its mission is to recognize the academic excellence of students in the study of Associate Degree Nursing. The society encourages the pursuit of advance degrees in the profession of nursing as well as continuing education as a life-long professional responsibility.
Contact:
Stephanie Francis, MSN, RN, CNE
Director of Nursing
Arizona Western College
stephanie.francis@azwestern.edu
(928) 317-6038