Sherry Beavers Receives 2025 Power of Caring Award

Sherry Beavers, Executive Director of Open Arms Clinic in Toccoa, GA, is our 2025 Power of Caring Award recicpient. 

For 50 years, Sherry has shown what it means to be the heart of nursing: compassion in motion, care without limits, and a steady commitment to anyone who needs help. These are the qualities that encouraged her community to nominate her for the 2025 Power of Caring Award.

Service has shaped Sherry's entire life. As the daughter of an Army soldier, she moved often and learned early how to adapt, empathize, and stay resilient. Her military upbringing grounded her in discipline and purpose, and her marriage to a Navy man deepened her understanding of dedication and passion. That foundation became the rhythm of her calling.

Sherry began her nursing career in 1975 in Outpatient Mental Health, helping long-term care patients find healing and better placement. She later served in Step-Down ICU, Surgical, and ER units. By 1977, she was caring for patients on the Chemo Floor and teaching childbirth educaiton classes in her spare time. 

Her calling carried her through roles in School Nursing, Labor and Delivery, Hospice, OB-GYN, Ask a Nurse, and Nursing School Supervisor. At every step, she met people exactly where they were, whether they were celebrating new life, grieving loss, or searching for hope. 

In 2007, her journey led her to Open Arms Clinic in Toccoa, GA. What started as volunteer work quickly became her mission. Sherry stepped into leadership and helped grow the clinic into a lifeline for countless people in our community.

At Open Arms, Sherry ran a clinic while building bridges. When a patient needed something beyond the clinic walls, she picked up the phone and found help. Doctors, churches, community partners, neighbors—Sherry called whoever it took. She tracked down medication, food, blankets, transportation, and anything else someone might need. Her determination and love made sure no one felt left behind.

Sherry fights for her patients. She doesn't stop at obstacles; she finds solutions. Her compassion, persistence, and unshakable belief in people have changed more lives than can be counted. 

Sherry's 50 years in nursing reflect far more than a career; they embody a calling fueled by kindness, service, and her unwavering belief that everyone deserves care.

This year, we honor Sherry Beavers: a nurse, a leader, a friend, and a true embodiment of the Power of Caring, living that spirit with every step she takes.

Alli Hill