How A Virtual School Nurse Keeps Students Healthy and Families Fed

When Amber Noffke joined Alabama Destinations Career Academy (ALDCA) last November, she had the same question many people might: What does a virtual school nurse even do?

As it turns out—a lot.

“All these kids still have to test in person,” Noffke explained. “A lot of them have medical issues and need what’s called an Individualized Healthcare Plan in order to be physically present and test. And an RN is the only person who can write IHPs.”

Before she came on board, the schools were using contracted and part-time nurses. Families struggled to know who to contact and what was required. After one year in the role, she’s helped build a smoother, faster, more consistent system that families immediately noticed.

“This year has gone so much smoother and I hear a lot more of, ‘I’m so glad you’re here,’” she said.

Beyond IHPs, Noffke keeps immunization records on track, creates emergency action plans for students who may need urgent care during testing, and trains staff on how to respond when no nurse is physically present. She also sends health newsletters, connects families with local clinics, and serves as an advice nurse for families in rural areas who lack access to reliable healthcare.

While her school duties keep her busy, Noffke’s impact doesn’t end at 5 p.m.

Thousands of families across North Alabama were hit hard by the federal government shutdown and the temporary pause of SNAP benefits. “We started seeing people saying they didn’t know what they were going to do,” Noffke said. “When SNAP stopped, our community really started to hurt.”

Noffke stepped up alongside a local moms’ group to meet an overwhelming need. The group, informally known as the Peanut Butter and Jelly Squad, started as a summer project within the local “Bad Moms” social club to help families feed their kids over the break. But when the shutdown left families struggling overnight, the project expanded dramatically.

“Within three weeks, we fed over 2,000 kids—really 2,000 families,” Noffke said. Using grocery deliveries, pantry donations, and even her own TikTok platform to gather food, she helped pack and distribute “meals in bags”: simple, complete meal kits that families could prepare immediately. Soon her home office was overflowing with donated food. “I had people dropping things off at my door. My daughter and I sat around putting together bags of spaghetti, sauce, anything that could make a meal.”

The effort quickly grew into a community co-op pantry supplied by volunteers across multiple counties after a local meteorologist shared the story online. Now, PBJ squads are in other parts of North Alabama and families can get food discreetly, without forms or explanations. Noffke’s daughter even helped build a free food pantry in their yard as part of a school service project.

“She said, ‘Mom, can we put a free food pantry in our yard?’ And I thought—yes. That’s exactly why we do this.”

“If we all do a little, we can do a lot,” says Noffke, using a phrase that became a kind of motto for the group.

Noffke credits her drive to her own lived experience. She grew up in poverty. Her mother struggled with addiction. She put herself through nursing school during a divorce. And she knows firsthand how hard it can be to ask for help.

“It’s embarrassing,” she said. “A lot of people don’t want to say they’re struggling. So being able to get food without having to talk to anybody is huge.”

Families often wonder what’s happening behind the screen at a virtual school. Noffke’s story is a reminder: real people are there, working every day to keep kids safe, supported, and connected.

Her work as a school nurse ensures that every student, no matter their health needs, can participate fully and safely in school. And her work outside of school reminds us what community really looks like.

See how your student can feel that same support with ALDCA.

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