Start the New Year with a Community Service Project

Looking for a community service project to get the New Year off on a good start? How about making activity packets for children at the hospital? And if you can schedule a time to do it with your grandkids, even better!

This all came about when my granddaughter ended up in the emergency room a few years ago with what the doctor suspected was appendicitis. She was in the ER for tests. She was one scared eight-year-old. As she waited for various tests, the nurses brought her an activity packet. Her mother reported that this had really saved the day for them both!

When I heard their story, I knew I had to get involved creating such packets. I volunteer at the same hospital, so checked with the Children's Life facilitator asking her what they liked to see in such packets. I was set to go!

The procedure~

As you can see, it's a pretty straightforward procedure. Just check with your local hospital to see their needs and all the do's and don'ts. I aim for my packets to be for the 5-10 age group. I went to a party supply store to find party favors that would be appropriate for such a packet. They have small packages of crayons, notepads, and even little activity books. My granddaughter reported having fun with pipe-cleaners, creating various items with those. The other items I just got online to find. It's probably easier for you just to peek inside our packets:

Notepads from the party supply store.

Small activity books and boxes of crayons that are usually used for party favors work great in a hospital activity bag.

I promise you can find all sorts of ideas online.

Easy enough to complete in a hospital bed or in the waiting room.

I found this coloring page and word search online.

And more~

This is certainly a project we grandparents can do on our own. But I started my latest packets just a couple of weeks ago, and it worked out where my grands were on a long holiday break, so they came over one day to help me get the supplies ready and to stuff the packets. It's always fun with those two.

A rainy afternoon spent getting packets ready.

Of course my youngest granddaughter had to try on the "love goggles."

And that's it!

Besides helping me ready the supplies, the girls also acted as my guinea pigs, especially with the pipe cleaners. I wanted to see if they could actually create something with the pipe cleaners by just looking at the picture. It seemed to work.

We packed up all supplies and instructions, and got everything ready for delivery. I think it's a fun project and one that might help out a scared child that finds herself in the hospital emergency room or in the hospital for a brief procedure. There's always that wait time that is hard for kids and parents to deal with. 

Completed bags...ready for delivery.

"Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others." Brian Tracy

"You have not lived today until you have helped someone who can never repay you."
​John Bunyan

Websites for packet ideas:

The love goggles:
​ www.pinterest.com/pin/282037995399544966/

​www.pinterest.com/pin/282037995399544962/

Final note~

Besides doing this on your own or involving your grandkids, you could do it as a group project. When I first approached the Children's Life coordinator at the hospital, she said she had just received a delivery of fun packets from the Junior League. So how about doing  it with your book club or bunco group or Bible study friends. The little guys could do it with their Scout troops. The ideas are endless, and it fulfills a real need. 

​Happy New Year. Here's hoping 2019 is
our best year ever!