Meadowlark Foundation has enthusiastically accepted an invitation to grow our “green” by participating in the 11th annual Grow Green Match Day on Friday, April 21. On that day, donations made through the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation to participating nonprofit agencies will receive a 50% match! Meadowlark Foundation is joining 93 other local organizations in urging our donors to participate.

Combined donations up to $20,000 will be matched at 50%, giving a maximum of $10,000 in matching funds to any one organization. Gifts of $25 to $1,000 per agency may be matched by 50%, but any size donation is welcome.

Once again, donations to Meadowlark will directly support scholarships for current Meadowlark employees who would like to further their education to become licensed practical nurses or registered nurses. The matching funds will be placed in Meadowlark Foundation’s endowed fund with GMCF.

Scholarship amounts given by Meadowlark vary, depending on what is awarded by the Kansas Board of Regents; however, the nursing program for each recipient is fully, or nearly fully, funded. Interested employees must complete an application, and a committee reviews the applications to determine which employees to interview. Employees who receive a scholarship agree to work at Meadowlark for at least two years following graduation.

In addition, Meadowlark would like to expand the program, offering scholarships to students attending local or area nursing schools and who aren’t current Meadowlark employees. These scholarship recipients must agree to work at Meadowlark for at least a year after receiving LPN or RN certification.

Two success stories of Meadowlark’s scholarship program can be told by current employees Julie Nederhoff and Kashaya Zukowske. Nederhoff has worked for Meadowlark since 2015 as a certified nursing assistant, a certified medical assistant, and for a short time as an LPN in one of Meadowlark’s healthcare households. In 2019, she joined the shared nurse team. Zukowske was hired at Meadowlark in 2016, working as Health Services Assistant. After receiving her LPN license, she became our Health Services Coordinator.

The scholarship Nederhoff received last year has allowed her to continue her education, and she’ll soon earn a registered nurse license. Robyn Harris, Human Resources Leader, explained that shared nurses, such as Nederhoff, work wherever they are needed in any of Meadowlark’s healthcare households.

“The shared team requires staff to be reliable, dependable, flexible, caring, and hardworking, and Julie embodies all of those qualities,” Harris said. 

Jennifer Schoenhofer, Director of Nursing, recalls that Nederhoff was one of the first nurses to join Meadowlark’s COVID response team in 2020 when the organization proposed opening an off-site COVID unit. This team was developed in preparation for disaster level numbers of COVID patients. 

“At that time, little was known about the transmission of COVID, and the mortality rate was extremely high,” Schoenhofer said. “Despite these extreme circumstances, Julie jumped in with both feet and her whole heart.”  

Schoenhofer adds that Nederhoff has continued to be a strong and dedicated nurse while finishing her RN coursework.

“She will continue to grow as a nurse after her graduation, and she plans on joining the (clinical) coordinator team in the future,” she said.

In February of 2020, Zukowske was awarded a Meadowlark scholarship to train as an RN and graduated in May the following year. She said the words she spoke when she learned she had been selected to receive a scholarship hold true today.

"I’m very grateful to Meadowlark,” Zukowske said in 2020. “Knowing that they wanted to invest in me makes me feel valued and reinforces me wanting to continue to work here.” 

In her role as Health Services Coordinator, she provides support to all household and clinical coordinators as well as serves as Meadowlark’s infection control nurse. She also is able to assume the duties of Meadowlark’s clinical coordinators when they are off work for extended periods of time, such as maternity leave. In addition, she manages a team of shared CNAs/CMAs, who work around our entire campus to help alleviate staffing issues in the households. 

A Concordia native, Zukowske knew from an early age that she would like to follow in her mother’s nursing footsteps, so about 15 years ago, she took a similar path to work with an older population and opted for a job in long-term care. Her job descriptions have been varied, and she said working in many different areas gave her a different perspective when going into nursing, as well as into leadership.

Zukowske applied to work at Meadowlark after encouragement from a friend.

“She told me that if I wanted a place where I could grow to come to Meadowlark because there are a number of different opportunities here. … I am truly grateful for all of the opportunities that I have had working for Meadowlark. Being able to go back to school and gain more knowledge has been truly rewarding,” Zukowske said.

Her positive experiences at Meadowlark, such as continuing to add to her skill set as well as develop rewarding relationships with her co-workers, have prompted her to encourage many employees to explore the scholarship program.

“I feel that it is rare for a full-ride scholarship to be offered, especially in long-term care,” Zukowske said. “It can be a life-changing opportunity for so many people.” 

Persons who are interested in giving the gift of nursing education are invited to complete the Grow Green Match Day donation form included with this edition of the Messenger on pages 15 and 16. Return the form and a check dated April 21, 2023, to the Hospitality Desk or mail to GMCF on or before April 21. Questions? Contact Becky Fitzgerald at (785) 323-3843.