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ST. AMBROSE, LATHAM

Parish gets grant for health efforts

BY MAUREEN MCGUINNESS
CORRESPONDENT St. Ambrose Church in Latham was recently awarded a grant that will enhance the parish's health programs.

One of the first parishes in the Albany Diocese to have a parish nurse on staff, St. Ambrose received a grant for $10,000 as part of a New York State legislative initiative. The grant was secured with help from Sen. Neil Breslin's office.

Nancy Acemoglu, RN, parish nurse at St. Ambrose, said the grant will allow the parish to create a "wellness room" where community health services can be provided.

Mrs. Acemoglu said the parish nursing program provides health screenings, educational programs, support groups, hearing screenings, flu and pneumonia clinics, mammography screenings and more. The grant will allow many of these services to be provided in one location.

"We've had a lot of services provided here over the past 20 years," she said. "This grant will allow us to enhance the health of the entire community."

In addition to parishioners, the program serves people using the parish food bank and the greater community. In fact said Mrs. Acemoglu, the parish will be the location where teachers from the North Colonie School District can get their annual flu shot later this month.

Mrs. Acemoglu said she provides services to all age groups, but finds that seniors in the community are often most in need of assistance. For example, she said, age-related hearing loss often results in more seniors participating in hearing screenings than other age groups.

As chair of the diocesan Commission on Aging, Mrs. Acemoglu said she tries to be sensitive to the needs of seniors. 

"We serve quite a lot of seniors," she noted.

There are many things Mrs. Acemoglu enjoys in her ministry. She said she often has the opportunity to work with multiple generations of one family.

Over the past 20 years, her workdays have never been the same. From providing flu shots to assisting a family in making a nursing home placement, or helping a person grieve, Mrs. Acemoglu's days are always busy.

"I receive more from them than I can ever give," she said.

(10/22/09) [[In-content Ad]]

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