Kindness is contagious: Bremerton nurse is living proof that sometimes, heroes wear scrubs

BREMERTON, Wash. - In this time of uncertainty, we look for the helpers -- people who project the best of humanity.

They can be found anywhere you look, really. It's inside each of us. 

Kindness is contagious, and nurse Kimmy Siebens carries it with her each night during her shifts in the Covid ICU at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. 

Much like her patients, the job itself can be isolating. After many hours on her feet and multiple disinfections later, her hospital shift is done, but her work extends far beyond the halls of Harborview. 

Kimmy is the founder of the Bremerton Homeless Community Coalition. She uses social media to fundraise for people in need. Members of her Facebook group donate money and goods - sometimes the most basic items. 

Kimmy Siebens (Q13 News photo)

When she's not making the rounds at Harborview, you can find her making the rounds at the Kitsap Rescue Mission, Kitsap County's only year-round homeless shelter. 

Around there, Kimmy isn't known as a nurse. She's super-human. 

Bobbi, a shelter resident, has Kimmy to thank for a motorized scooter that helps him get around. Kimmy rallied her social media troops to find one. 

The frequency of her check-ins and her ability to tune in make all the difference for the people she's trying to help. 

Richard Jiminez met Kimmy three years ago. 

"I was addicted to many things," he said. 

She showed him he had the power to turn his life around, and she taught him how to help others do the same. 

Her bedside manner is warm and inviting, despite the fact that her own bed is, sometimes, the back of her truck. 

Kimmy added a mattress to her covered truck bed so she can sleep in it after shifts as a way to prevent potentially exposing her roommates to Covid. 

"Problem solved," Kimmy said. "I can still go to work and not have to worry about where I'm gonna sleep because I work during the night and I definitely need to sleep somewhere during the daytime safe."

Kimmy needs her rest, because she works her tail off. She's famous for caring about people - and their pets. 

Kimmy's kindness is her superpower. And sure, sometimes superheroes wear scrubs, but most times, all you need is a warm welcome and a kind word. 

"I don`t know a lot but I do know that helping people is a lot better than not helping them," Kimmy said.