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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNot surprisingly, there were trust issues within this community, and Dr. Woody and her students worked hard to gain that trust. \u201cWe had great conversations, and we had the voice of the audience. And that made all the difference.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne of the interesting things was that I had worked with vulnerable populations for many years, but I don\u2019t think I really appreciated the vulnerability as it exists. We can hear about it, and we can read about it and that sort of thing. But being present is such an amazing opportunity and taught me so much.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hands and feet clinic is not for those in dire medical need (although people with serious medical issues can be referred for immediate help). \u201cIt\u2019s more of an experience. They are coming in for the experience of having their hands washed, their feet washed, getting a manicure, and their nails back. For the homeless and the vulnerable, their feet are their transportation. Their feet take a beating because their shoes are too tight or too big, they don\u2019t have proper footwear, or they don\u2019t have socks. We manage that as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey come in and receive hand care or foot care \u2014 they can pick between the two or do both. Then there\u2019s the opportunity to have a hand massage or a foot massage or have their nails painted. Alongside that, we give them a pair of new socks, and we give them blessing bags that include toiletries.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOftentimes, this population is misjudged as wanting a handout. These folks need a hand up. Our being there and walking alongside them for just a small amount of time is definitely impactful, so much so that these people come back week after week. And some year after year after year.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is hard to generalize about who makes up this population in need. \u201cThere\u2019s just a huge span. I can\u2019t say it\u2019s one ethnicity over another. My oldest client was around 98. I\u2019ve also had a 2-year-old with a mom. We do see more males than females. If you look at the homeless demographic, there are more homeless males than females.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The challenges are many. \u201cWe had an unfortunate pickup in numbers with COVID. COVID changed everything. But not only that, we also had an uptick in violence. As a result of that, we did have to scale our outreach back just a bit for the safety of our students.\u201d And the economic downturn has made things more complicated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Woody has also taken the hands and feet ministry on the road. We have been asked to do this in several other places. We could do so much more!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In essence, this clinic is treating an underserved, vulnerable population as human beings \u2014 human beings who deserve care, respect, and dignity. It is, in Dr. Woody\u2019s words, \u201cthe power of presence.\u201d And that is a very substantial power indeed. GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" DR. DANA Woody of Liberty University is a professor of nursing with a doctor of nursing practice concentrated in executive leadership. Her background is in community nursing. It is a mission she has taken very much to heart. In conjunction with the Salvation Army, she has launched a hands and feet ministry based in Lynchburg. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":20609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lynchburg-va\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/12\/2-6-1024x683.png\")
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