BRATTLEBORO — A local nurses' organization, MANOS, invites you to a benefit concert featuring The Snaz on Sunday, Oct. 5, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Main Street's Fireworks restaurant.
While rocking out to Brattleboro's homegrown music sensation, you can bid on offerings by dozens of local artists and artisans at a silent auction. Snacks are free. There's also a cash bar. Tickets are $20 for adults and free for kids under 12.
Proceeds benefit Helping Babies Breathe, which teaches Nicaraguan midwives neonatal resuscitation.
MANOS, or Maternal and Neonatal Outreach Services, formally Brattleboro Nurses in Nicaragua, is a small group of nurses passionate about bringing healthcare to underserved women and children internationally.
The group says developing skills among in-country health workers is shown to be one of the best, most sustainable ways of achieving this goal.
MANOS - which also means “hands” in Spanish - plans a return trip to Nicaragua this November. There the nurses will partner with pediatrician Richard Strauss to teach Nicaraguan birth attendants simple steps developed to save the lives of newborns in resource-poor environments.
On previous trips the nurses focused on promoting breastfeeding. They were invited to develop and teach a clinical breastfeeding skills seminar to medical and nursing staff at a major teaching hospital in León, Nicaragua, and have provided clinical and material support for the advancement of breastfeeding throughout the area.
This year the nurses will teach Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) to Nicaraguan birth attendants in a variety of settings.
Developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, HBB is the same curriculum practiced regularly by obstetrical nurses at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.
The nurses added in a press release that they feel uniquely qualified to share these skills where they're sorely needed. Almost 99 percent of neonatal deaths occur in resource-poor environments, and HBB promises to make a huge difference.
The Snaz is an original, indie rock band featuring four Vermont teenagers: Dharma Ramirez, lead vocals and guitar; Mavis Eaton, keyboards and backup vocals; Zack James, drums; and Nina Singleton-Spencer, bass.