Unity Bands Donates Shoes To UM BWMC

The nonprofit Unity Bands donated comfortable, clinically appropriate shoes on April 21 to team members enrolled in a certified nursing assistant (CNA) course at the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC). The effort brings the total to 30 pairs of shoes donated by Unity Bands.

This class, made possible through a grant by the Maryland Department of Labor, provides entry-level team members working in various departments throughout the hospital with the necessary training to obtain their clinical nursing assistant certification, enables their promotion to patient care tech positions, and puts them on a path toward nursing and more advanced clinical positions.

Running in partnership with Anne Arundel Community College, the program offered a fall and spring cohort, each with 12-15 students. The program consists of in-person classes, labs and hands-on experience in a real clinical setting. As part of the program, all students must obtain a uniform to wear in clinical settings for their safety, and to minimize the spread of infection. The uniform includes matching scrubs and clinically appropriate footwear that is closed-toed and water resistant. Unity Bands, through its new program Air Unity, collaborated with UM BWMC to donate appropriate shoes and show support for the health care workers during their CNA training.

Faces beamed as gift bags with shoes were handed out to students in Glen Burnie.

“We are very appreciative of our partnership,” said Timeka Lawrence, development coordinator for UM BWMC, regarding Unity Bands.

At Unity Bands, the goal is to support health care workers with families who may need additional resources. “We’re here to remove barriers and common concerns such as how to pay bills so they can focus on other important things,” founder John Schirrippa said.

Since its inception, Unity Bands has donated over $17,000 in comfort care items and medical equipment to hospitals, supporting programs such as Feeding the Frontlines and health care worker resiliency efforts. Unity Bands is based out of Annapolis and supports communities in Maryland and New York.