February 12, 2010

CONTACT: Robin Hutchinson Bell
Director of College Relations
Mount Carmel College of Nursing
614-234-1372/cell: 886-1825

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A Poverty Challenge for Lent at Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Columbus, Ohio…Mount Carmel College of Nursing (MCCN) is taking Lent to a whole new level by issuing a “Poverty Challenge” to this local College community. Spearheaded by the Director of Student Life, Colleen Cipriani, and the College Chaplain, Pete McClernon, the challenge is to live and work in solidarity with those who enter this Lent in poverty.

“With the economy now, the situation in Haiti, so many around the country and the world challenged these days, we wanted to really engage our college community this Lent,” said Cipriani, who searched online for ideas and found the “Poverty Challenge” on the diocese of Buffalo (NY) website.

Instead of a traditional Lenten gesture, such as giving up chocolate, the “Poverty Challenge” includes innovative practices with a weeklong commitment for each.

One week it is recording and awareness of all purchases, as those who need to watch every penny. Another week it is not borrowing money, including the ultimate loan—the use of credit cards—to identify with those who live without this convenience. A third week suggests giving up something that is really a luxury but feels indispensable, such as a computer, cell phone, mp3 player, coffee shop, car, or television.

The challenge also includes reflection, journaling, and discussion about each experience, concluding with a lunch for all those who take the challenge.

“We hope that this challenge is different enough that it will catch people’s imagination,” Cipriani said. “The ‘Poverty Challenge’ can help those of us who have so much to keep those less fortunate in our hearts, thoughts, and pocketbooks.”

ABOUT MOUNT CARMEL COLLEGE OF NURSING

Mount Carmel is a specialized institution of higher education which offers the following programs: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science (MS) in Adult Health, Nursing Administration and Nursing Education, a Dietetic Internship and an Online RN Refresher Course. Mount Carmel has one of the largest baccalaureate nursing programs in the state of Ohio. The College is located at 127 South Davis Avenue in Columbus, on the campus of Mount Carmel West Hospital.