Myrna McLaughlin, Our Founder
From the time she was a little girl playing at being one, Myrna has known that nursing was the career she wanted to pursue. She spent lots of time playing “Army Nurse” in the childhood games of her mid-west South Bend, Indiana neighborhood, saving the “soldiers” from death time and again. In 1962, she took the final step toward achieving her goals when she graduated, with honors, from Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in South Bend, Indiana. After a long and satisfying career as a nurse, raising four children and an eye-opening trip to a desolate Chimbote, Peru, Myrna concentrated her nursing skill in a new direction by joining Cross-Over Ministry in Richmond, Virginia—a Christian, medical outreach for the poor and homeless in Richmond, VA.
During her time with Cross-Over, from 1987-1998, Myrna filled a number of positions including Director of Community Health and Public Affairs, Administrative Director and many others. She began several programs for healthcare and education in the inner city of Richmond, including the very successful Lay Health Promoter Program; and then expanding the Lay Health Promoter Program Outreach to the Women’s City Jail, which gives the inmates skills with which to help their neighbors. She has served on numerous health boards such as Vice-Chair and founding member of Richmond Area Health Education Center; Chair, Central Virginia HIV Care Consortium; Richmond Urban Primary Care Initiative, Community Advisory Board; and founding board member of Cities in Schools.She has received numerous awards, including two Joint Resolution Commendations from the Virginia Legislature. She was YWCA Woman of the year in Health and Science, and winner of the first Leadership Metro Richmond Vision award. She was appointed by Gov. George Allen to the Special Advisory Commission on Mandated Health Insurance Benefits for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She has had several articles published in Nursing and Christian Health Magazines.
After a trip to the Dominican Republic in 1997 with Third Church of Richmond, VA, a new direction began to take root. In 1998, she sold her home, gave up her possessions and moved in with her oldest daughter and family in order to focus all her resources in leading mission trips through the organization, Adventures in Missions.
And in 2000, through the Lord’s prompting, Myrna established the Least of These Ministries, directed by the principle illuminated in the Gospel of Matthew 25:40. She spent three years as a Community Resource Coordinator in Selfridge, North Dakota on the Sioux Standing Rock Indian Reservation working with the natives and farmers in the area.
For the past 30+ years, Myrna has traveled to some of the poorest parts of the world—Mexico, Peru, Uganda, Zimbabwe—bringing hope, supplies and medicine to the most desperate of our brothers and sisters. For the past 18 years, she has concentrated her efforts in Africa providing funds to dig wells, build homes, provide medication, vitamins and food, investing in small businesses to create jobs, providing First Aid classes, and supplying nursing clinics in rural areas for improved community and economic health. And, in order to help with the effects of climate change in Zimbabwe, she has sponsored education in Agriculture through Pastor Jesse to inform and educated small subsistence farmers in techniques to provide food for the peoples.
During her time with Cross-Over, from 1987-1998, Myrna filled a number of positions including Director of Community Health and Public Affairs, Administrative Director and many others. She began several programs for healthcare and education in the inner city of Richmond, including the very successful Lay Health Promoter Program; and then expanding the Lay Health Promoter Program Outreach to the Women’s City Jail, which gives the inmates skills with which to help their neighbors. She has served on numerous health boards such as Vice-Chair and founding member of Richmond Area Health Education Center; Chair, Central Virginia HIV Care Consortium; Richmond Urban Primary Care Initiative, Community Advisory Board; and founding board member of Cities in Schools.She has received numerous awards, including two Joint Resolution Commendations from the Virginia Legislature. She was YWCA Woman of the year in Health and Science, and winner of the first Leadership Metro Richmond Vision award. She was appointed by Gov. George Allen to the Special Advisory Commission on Mandated Health Insurance Benefits for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She has had several articles published in Nursing and Christian Health Magazines.
After a trip to the Dominican Republic in 1997 with Third Church of Richmond, VA, a new direction began to take root. In 1998, she sold her home, gave up her possessions and moved in with her oldest daughter and family in order to focus all her resources in leading mission trips through the organization, Adventures in Missions.
And in 2000, through the Lord’s prompting, Myrna established the Least of These Ministries, directed by the principle illuminated in the Gospel of Matthew 25:40. She spent three years as a Community Resource Coordinator in Selfridge, North Dakota on the Sioux Standing Rock Indian Reservation working with the natives and farmers in the area.
For the past 30+ years, Myrna has traveled to some of the poorest parts of the world—Mexico, Peru, Uganda, Zimbabwe—bringing hope, supplies and medicine to the most desperate of our brothers and sisters. For the past 18 years, she has concentrated her efforts in Africa providing funds to dig wells, build homes, provide medication, vitamins and food, investing in small businesses to create jobs, providing First Aid classes, and supplying nursing clinics in rural areas for improved community and economic health. And, in order to help with the effects of climate change in Zimbabwe, she has sponsored education in Agriculture through Pastor Jesse to inform and educated small subsistence farmers in techniques to provide food for the peoples.
