DOWAGIAC — While she may not be in the examination room administering shots or next to the surgery bed with a scalpel in hand, Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital’s Kristin DesRosiers plays an integral role in the health care of many of the patients who walk through the Dowagiac hospital’s doors.

As the on-site social worker for the facility, DesRosiers ensures that people get the support they need after their release from the hospital, be it connecting them and their families with nursing care or simply making sure they are able to make it home OK.

In fact, the social worker has no qualms pulling out her own wallet to make sure patients are taken care of.

Last winter, DesRosiers learned that two patients at the hospital had the clothing they wore to the hospital destoryed due to a bug infestation in their home. Rather than let them catch the local Dial-A-Ride bus wearing nothing but a paper hospital gown, the woman quickly rushed to the nearby Family Dollar and purchased $34 worth of sweatshirts and sweatpants for the pair to don on their travel home.

“I wouldn’t want my dad, or myself, riding home in a state like that,” DesRosiers said. “It just wasn’t acceptable.”

While she would be more than happy to do the same for other patients, thanks to a recent partnership with Dowagiac charity group Saint Francis Outreach, DesRosiers will no longer have worry about digging into her own pocket for patient clothing.

The organization, formed in October 2015 by members of Dowagiac’s Holy Maternity of Mary and Silver Creek Township’s Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic churches, recently purchased new sweatshirts, sweatpants and socks for the hospital to use for patients whose clothing is damaged or discarded during care.

Jodi Hannapel, vice chair of Saint Francis Outreach, stopped by the hospital last week to drop off three bags full of around 30 pairs of recently-purchased clothing, DesRosiers said.

The partnership between Borgess-Lee and Saint Francis Outreach was born earlier this year, when DesRosiers began working with Hannapel and Naomi Ludman, director of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church food pantry, to give away some of the hospital cafeteria food items.

The three identified Dowagiac nonprofit The Stepping Stone, which runs an afterschool program for children, as good recipient of the gifts. Since April, the hospital has donated 124 frozen meals and 104 pounds of other food items, like sandwiches and potato chips, for Stepping Stone volunteers to serve to students at its community center on Miller Street.

“It has been a wonderful partnership,” DesRosiers said. “We are thankful that we are being better stewards our resources, getting them into the hands of people who need the help.”

During their conversations, Hannapel mentioned that Saint Francis Outreach provides clothing to local students from needy families on a regular basis. After DesRosiers said that the hospital is need of shirts and pants for patients whose clothing is discarded, Hannapel presented the idea to the Saint Francis board, who decided to donate new apparel to the facility.

The first batch of clothing arrived in the spring, and was quickly put to good use, DesRosiers said.

DesRosiers said that is quite often that patients’ clothing is discarded during their stay at the hospital. For example, clothing may be ripped apart by personnel performing emergency care, or patients who come in off the streets may have their soiled outfits thrown out.

Thanks to Saint Francis’ donations, these patients will at least have a nice, comfortable set of sweatpants and socks ready for them when they leave Borgess-Lee, DesRosiers said.

“People get to go home warm, safe and with dignity,” she said. “I’m grateful that [Saint Francis] has partnered with us to help patients in the community, especially as the weather gets colder.”