Julie is a board-certified adult acute care nurse practitioner, currently working with an inpatient critical care service and serving on the faculty of Western Michigan University. She attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College, where she received an associate’s degree in nursing.

She completed a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan. A lifelong learner, she is currently studying French and intends to become a certified translator. Julie is also working toward a second bachelor’s degree through Oregon State University, planning to create a program that pairs wildlife conservation with nature therapy for schools and people residing in long-term care facilities. Julie’s love for caring and advocating for others led her to a career in nursing. Before becoming a nurse practitioner, she worked as a registered nurse for fifteen years in both urban and rural emergency departments and as a hospital stroke program coordinator. During this time, she witnessed inequities in healthcare that fueled her desire to work within the community to help others become empowered by equitable access to healthcare and education.

Approaching healthcare from a holistic and compassionate perspective, Julie is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the team at Helping Hands. She has enjoyed working within the community during health events and providing presentations about stroke prevention and recognition, dietary approaches to reduce hypertension and heart disease, and recognizing nutritional needs in the home care setting. Additionally, Julie has worked as a trained therapy team with her beloved basset hound, providing companionship and stress relief for people in hospitals and schools. She also works at Lincoln Elementary in the “Ruff Readers” program, where children gain confidence in reading by practicing with a therapy animal. Julie was born in New York and spent most of her childhood in New Jersey. She currently lives in Kalamazoo with her spouse, Joe, and their large family of companion animals, including dogs, cats, and chickens.

She has two grown sons and twin granddaughters. She enjoys leisurely creating art, gardening, birding, hiking, and woodworking.

Linda has been married to her husband, Ron, for 52 years. They have two children, Paul, who lives in Hendeson, NV, with his wife and two children. My daughter lives in Gobles and has one child.

She is a registered nurse with certifications in legal nurse consulting and psychiatric nursing. Linda has working experience in the hospital, including Psych, ICU, and ED, in Michigan and Alaska. She has also worked in home care, caring for med/surg and psychiatric patients. Also, LTC is the director of nursing. For the last 11 years, I have been blessed to work with hospice patients.

Born in a small town called Rusape in the rural but beautiful Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. Tarasi grew up with his family in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. After high school, he left Zimbabwe in 2000 and embarked on a journey of hope and discovery to Chicago, Illinois, to further his education and career aspirations. After two years of living with my sister in Chicago, he moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he began working part-time in factories and as a Nurse Aide. In 2005 he moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, and attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College for my Nursing prerequisites. He graduated from Glen Oaks Community College in 2011 with an Associate of Science in Nursing while working full-time as a Nurse Aide at Upjohn Community Care Center.

Tarasi then started working at Bronson Methodist Hospital as a Registered Nurse, initially in a Medical Surgical Unit, then transitioned to the Neurosurgical ICU. He had various responsibilities, including precepting, being a charge nurse, and helping with the skills fair in my unit.

He completed his Bachelor of Science in Nursing and took a Critical Care Certificate (CCRN) in 2017. He was accepted to the Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia Practice at The University of Kansas and graduated in May 2021. Currently, Tarasi is practicing as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist with Kalamazoo Anesthesiology. He is married and has three children, one girl, and two boys. His hobbies include spending time with my family, biking, swimming, going to auto shows, watching football, dancing to salsa music, and going to some jazz clubs.