Buffalo, NY, nurse Trinetta Alston has made it her mission in life to help others, and in the past year, she has opened her heart to help as many Tops supermarket associates as possible.
Tops in Buffalo was the site of a mass shooting on May 14, 2022, and days later, Alston started talking with survivors to help them heal from this tragic event.
Daily Nurse honors Trinetta Alson as the Nurse of the Week for showing kindness, compassion, and empathy for the survivors of this tragic day by connecting with them and letting them know that they’re not forgotten, and people care.
“Nursing is the only field where you can genuinely show you care for somebody, and they don’t think you want anything in return, and I don’t,” says Alston.
Alston plays many roles at the Community Health Center of Buffalo, but her involvement with helping Tops associates heal began the Monday after the shooting.
“It started just listening to the Tops associates who came to speak to us. And, after that, I’m wondering, as a nurse, nobody’s hurt. I didn’t understand why I was there. And it just evolved from there. People are put in places for reasons, and mine was to connect with them to let them know that everybody didn’t forget about them, that they are important, and that we care,” says Alston.
Alston goes to Tops two to three times a week to check on everyone, give them hugs, and make sure they know she’s available 24/7 to talk. She’s now an honorary Tops employee.
“The things they saw, they can’t un-see, so this is where I’m supposed to be. I’m supposed to be here with them, walking them through whatever they need to be walked through,” says Alston.
“What does it mean to you to have somebody like Trinetta in your life?” asks Kelly Dudzik.
“It means a lot. She definitely was there for me when all this happened at Tops and for my kids, too,” says Larose Palmer, a Tops cashier.
“Just a lifesaver. Truly a lifesaver,” said Rachez McCullough-Moore, a Tops office manager.
Alston has made it her life’s work to serve her community. Years ago, she experienced homelessness and faced addiction until others helped her through her struggles.
“I firmly believe that God walked with me through my addiction, put people in places for me so that now I can be that person in place for them,” says Alston. “I just want to be able to say job well done when I close my eyes at the end of the day. That’s all I want. And I get to do that here.”
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