Blog

These images, sent to us by our friends at Hispaniola Mountain Ministries, show the spirit of the Haitian people and the hope that comes with clean water. ~Michael and Frida Donner

At the Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times Gala in October, we had the honor of talking to Rick and Monique Crouser, parents of Tristen Crouser who was diagnosed with  Acute Lymphatic Leukemia when he was two years old. Today, Tristen is 10 and still fighting.  He recently received a bone marrow transplant that was […]

The demand for nurses is always rising. Frida and I are very aware of the unique challenges of the field of nursing, which is why we founded Barco’s Nightingales Foundation to honor and support those who choose to become nurses. But we also know that nursing is not for everyone. It can often be as […]

The Barco’s Nightingales Foundation Award for Nursing Excellence honors nurses who not only have contributed to their profession, but who are committed to humanitarian work as volunteers donating their time and professional skills to those in need. We are delighted to announce that the 2014 award recipient is Tina Cerutti, RN, BSN, who is a […]

ReSurge International’s roots are in Latin America. Their first volunteer medical trips were to Mexico; they have worked in Ecuador, and in Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Peru, they have well-established sustainable, year-round programs to treat the poor. I was privileged to accompany ReSurge International on one of its medical mission to the beautiful country of […]

Many of you are struggling with the challenge of deciding whether or not to make a volunteer trip.  Often we hear from nurses asking if the short time you have to spend in another country makes a difference.  We found these insights from many who have volunteered to be helpful and hope you do as […]

We came across an article about a 90-year-old nurse in West Virginia, who has been dubbed a Nurse Matriarch.  Her story is inspiring. Bettie Burdette dropped out of college to go into nursing following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  She received her Registered Nurse certificate in 1945, but did not get the opportunity to serve […]

Our friends at ReSurge International tell us that the poorest 2 billion of the global population lack access to even the most basic surgical care. As a result, people suffer from treatable ailments like burn injuries, complications of pregnancy, cancers, clefts and other conditions. This video they prepared on the global need for surgery and […]

I have often shared my experiences with our Community of Compassion after my visits to Haiti with Hispaniola Mountain Ministries. It strikes me that many of you may not know much about this tropical island and is people. Haiti was originally populated by the Taino people.  It is the third largest Caribbean nation and the […]

All over the world, we are reading stories of severe droughts. California is in its third year of drought with reservoirs drying up and forest fires burning statewide. In January, Brazil faced its hottest month on record, threatening major crops such as coffee and livestock.  Major cities like San Paulo had less than a month’s […]