Claire Turo

Claire graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and thereafter was awarded her Registered Nurse certificate. She began her career as a Staff Nurse at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, PA from 1978-1993 working in the Emergency Room and Operating Room. In 1993 she joined the Orthopedic Institute of PA as a Certified Nurse of the OR and ultimately as a Registered Nurse First Assistant. She retired from Nursing in 2017.

In 2000 she traveled with other medical professionals on a Mission trip to the Phillipines where she assisted surgeons who operated on local children, many with cleft palates. She volunteered again in 2004 and traveled to India to surgically assist as well.

In 2010 she traveled to Haiti with a church group to assess ongoing relief efforts. Realizing the incredible needs of the country and the Haitian people, she spearheaded a multi year project to collect unused medical supplies and arranged to ship them to Haiti by partnering with Gleaning for the World, a non profit from Virginia, that collected and transported the supplies directly to Haiti. Following the unwarranted invasion of Ukraine, she led efforts to again collect medical supplies and money and arrange to send it to the Ukrainian people in conjunction with the Ukrainian Eparchy in the United States.

She served on the Board of the South Middleton Soccer Association as its Treasurer. She rescued dogs for the Louisiana Catahoula Rescue Association and trained dogs as well as helping to run dog trials and training events. She volunteers extensively at her Church in Carlisle, St. Patrick’s, and assists the community in many and varied ways.

During her volunteer activities she perceived a need for homeless people, single parents and children in the Carlisle Area to have an opportunity to obtain clean clothing through a laundry event. Marshaling the resources of The Turo Foundation, she began a monthly laundry day at the Classic Cleaners where any and all individuals would have their laundry cleaned for free, no questions asked.  This project, now in its 4th year, has allowed hundred of families to obtain clean clothing bringing dignity and health related wellness to them. Following the enormously popular rollout of the laundry project, she guided a group from Shippensburg and another group in Carlisle, both of whom wished to replicate this service. Her leadership resulted in now three ongoing laundry events in the community.

She currently serves on the Board of the Carlisle Area Family Life Center as Secretary and regularly helps at the center assisting women in crisis pregnancies and families in need of support during and after the deliveries of their babies.