2025-2026 Team
Through volunteer work with local hospitals, we identified a need for comfort items and supplies for children receiving healthcare--especially in rural areas of Virginia. We researched the following:
Changes to Medicare and Medicaid had impacted health services, with several rural Virginia hospitals considered at risk.
Studies show that comfort items and play promote better outcomes for children in healthcare settings.
Aftercare packets with simple supplies like thermometers, ace bandages, and refillable ice packs can improve home monitoring, which means better outcomes and reduced readmission rates
After interviewing experienced distributors with the Jared Box Project, we learned the following important tips for gathering supplies:
*Supplies should target ages 3-7 as the most impactful cohort.
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*Supplies must be sanitary and evenly distributed, which means they must be purchased by HHH through donated funds, sorted into kits, and then given to healthcare facilities.
*Supplies should adhere to safety codes (no small removable parts, etc.).
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*We should communicate with healthcare centers to determine which supplies are specifically needed.
We contacted administrators at healthcare facilities in rural Virginia, including:
*Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center
*Bon Secours Rappahannock General Hospital
*Culpeper Hospital
*The Rappahannock Area Health District's Mobile Health Clinic
*Snowden's mental health treatment facility for teens
We pledged $500 worth of supplies per site.
We purchased $2,500 worth of supplies and sorted them into sections for each donation site.
We got Medical Careers Club at Riverbend to decorate the bins. We also got Mental Health Club at Riverbend to write encouraging cards for the teens receiving mental health treatment.
We put all the kits together. (It was a lot more complicated than we thought it would be).
Then we dropped off the kits at all five sites!
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
123-456-7890