When you first meet the "Mission Belles", you immediately feel their warmth and compassion. But what you sense even more when looking into the smiling faces of theses nurses is pride.
They are proud of the education and training they received at the Mission Schools of Nursing, and proud of the work they did at Mission then and after. They are also proud of their partnership with Mission Healthcare Foundation that resulted in a Nursing Alumni Committee which held its first meeting in August 2004.
Since the beginning of Mission's Nursing School, alumni committees have been formed but none were able to hold the test of time and numbers. Margaret Freeman Anderson, the current chair of the Nursing Alumni Committee, and a 1953 graduate of the School of Nursing had both the dream and desire to see the creation of a Nursing Alumni Committee.
Following Margaret's 50th nursing class reunion and many phone calls and visits later, she was put in contact with Mission Healthcare Foundation. In April 2004, the Foundation Board of Trustees "unanimously and enthusiastically" voted to establish a Nursing Alumni Committee whose main goal is to raise funds and support educational purposes for nursing.
Since the formation of the Mission Nursing Alumni Committee, the committee has established the Mission Belles Nursing Education Fund, developed a nursing alumni memorabilia collection, and began working on several ideas for fundraising activities. The Education Fund has provided 16 scholarships to date for nursing students, several of whom now work at Mission.
In 2007, the Mission Nursing Alumni Committee wanted to secure a way to provide scholarships for nursing education in perpetuity, so they established a Mission Belles Nursing Education Endowment Fund. Please consider making a gift to this Fund, and use the Donate Now button on this website should you choose to give. Any questions, please call Melody Dunlop at 828-213-1020.
If you are a graduate or former student, please contact Mission Healthcare Foundation at (828) 213-1020 or (888) 382-5511. We would love to hear from you!
