Many Florence Crittenton Services volunteers have a connection to the medical field, and while retired nurse and nurse educator Diane Bligh is no exception, her tenure with FloCrit has been different from many of her peers.
Diane first came to our campus to donate quilts for our Baby Bucks store. After an impromptu tour and learning more about our volunteer opportunities, Diane signed up to volunteer in our basic needs program. “Organizing things and making things neat and tidy really floats my boat,” explains Diane, who has contributed over 30 hours to sorting and stocking clothes in Baby Bucks since February 2019. Diane’s years in the medical field taught her that making things neat and organized is part of caring for a patient, and ensuring their space is free of clutter is part of showing respect and love. Our moms deserve that same care and attention in the Baby Bucks store—a place that is ultimately a tool of empowerment in their lives. “They earned everything in here,” Diane says, gesturing around the store.
“I missed making a difference,” says Diane, who goes as far as to color-coordinate clothes when hanging them up. Nursing and nurse education gave Diane the opportunity to work closely with people and to teach not only clinical skills, but a mindset of healing and empowerment. After retiring, Diane knew she wanted to find a place to volunteer where she could make a difference, but that would be flexible enough to allow her to travel regularly with her husband, Larry. Diane finds purpose in helping to create order out of chaos, and a space for all our moms to get the things they need to make their lives easier – truly making a difference here at FloCrit.
