[Original story posted in an edition of St. Luke's newsletter.]
Throughout October, St. Luke’s is featuring co-workers who are passionate about helping and contributing to the United Way. This week, Nampa RN Kimberli Munn shares how she turned her PTO hours into fun for her family - and funds for the United Way.
Nampa nurse uses her PTO to give back
Nampa Assistant Nurse Manager Kimberli Munn was scrolling through the Source News in late September, reading up on St. Luke’s United Way campaign when she saw the sentence that inspired her to action.
“You can use PTO and payroll deduction to bid on items,” the story said, referring to the then-upcoming online auction that raises funds for the United Way Community Fund.
Munn, who works the night shift in the Emergency Room and was rapidly bumping up on her PTO limit, realized right away she could make a difference by doing some bidding. And she decided to use it as a teaching moment for her four daughters – ages 10, 12, 15 and 17 - too.
The family got together and carefully went through the auction items to decide what to bid on. And, more importantly, Munn also took the time to share the United Way message with her kids. They talked about the “why” of helping out our neighbors through giving and volunteering. They explored the United Way website and learned how the United Way of Treasure Valley helps families in our communities with educational support, community health opportunities and more. And while Munn didn’t know much about the United Way before the auction, she’s now dedicated to spreading the word.
“I have a responsibility to show my kids how to give back,” Munn says. “I have to lead by example. And it was fun for all of us.”
But supporting the United Way also meant that Munn was getting a chance to support her second family – her co-workers at the Nampa hospital and throughout St. Luke’s Health System who so lovingly contributed auction items for the cause.
“I saw the quilt. I knew the quilt maker worked at the Nampa hospital, too. And I knew I wanted that quilt,” Munn says.
Not only did Munn "win" the quilt so beautifully handcrafted by OR RN Sandy Hardaway, but she won several other items – including gift cards, a bubble-gum machine, a family fun pack of adventures and a lottery-ticket wreath. Munn bid over (and often way above!) the item values in her bidding, knowing that the money (and her PTO) was all going back to our communities.
Munn, who has worked at St. Luke’s since 2014, went back to school to get her nursing degree after being a stay-at-home mom for several years. She continued her nursing education by earning her masters from Northwest Nazarene University in 2018, and you can hear the emotion in her voice when she talks about how blessed she feels to be at St. Luke’s Nampa, where she knows her colleagues join her in providing great patient care and supporting each other in their personal and professional goals.
“Working at St. Luke’s, I have been so impressed by the people,” Munn says. “There are so many good-hearted people here.”
Now, that’s “the United Way …” Thank you, Kimberli Munn, for giving from your own heart.