By KAREN RAPOLLA
Staff Writer
Students at Red Bank Regional High School (RBR) are keeping very busy with their mission of creating handmade cards to spread hope and joy to children spending the holiday season in hospitals.
Their goal is to reach children all over the country.
The Community Service Group — part of a national initiative of high school students making holiday cards for children in hospitals around the country — was adapted by RBR teacher Jennifer Casaine over four years ago. She is assisted in the effort by fellow RBR teacher Cassandra Dorn.
The students in the group embraced the activity and made dozens of motivational and inspirational cards for children who have to spend the holidays in the hospital. Cards included sayings such as, “Hope your holiday season is brighter than ever,” on the outside and positive encouragement like, “Stay strong, you are loved,” on the inside.
Cards for Hospitalized Kids (CFHK) is an internationally recognized charitable organization that began five years ago and has sent cards to over 100,000 hospitalized children throughout the United States. The organization’s mission is to spread hope, joy and magic to hospitalized children across America through uplifting, handmade cards.
“I thought this would be a great way for our kids at RBR to do something here at school for others their own age during the holidays,” said Casaine.
Jen Rubino, 22, of Illinois, is the founder and director of CFHK. Having undergone over 20 major surgeries during her teen years, she experienced firsthand the struggles and loneliness that young patients feel when hospitalized for serious illnesses.
Rubino also knows the impact a meaningful card can make to lift one’s spirits. She was a recipient of such a card delivered unexpectedly by a volunteer to her during a hospital stay. The card simply said, “Stay strong,” and that small gesture made an enormous impact on her. It made her smile, and she felt she was not forgotten. The gesture served as inspiration for her to do this for other children and teens.
When she was released from the hospital, her friends started asking her if there was anything they could do to help her during her recovery from the surgery. She told them there was something they could do — they could make handmade cards with her for patients at the local children’s hospitals.
Those cards gave other patients the sense of hope and joy she had experienced. It was the reason she founded CFHK.
Anyone can get involved with the organization from anywhere. Individuals and groups in the United States and other countries can donate time and creativity to make handmade cards, which CFHK will distribute at hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses.
In 2016, CFHK celebrated its five-year anniversary. Over 100,000 kids in hospitals in all 50 states have received cards.
The organization hopes to continue to grow and encourages more schools to get involved and help to brighten the days of as many hospitalized kids as possible.
Through social media, Rubino was able to turn her charity into a nationwide and global effort. People across the United States and in other countries, including schools, teams, athletes, individuals, families and community groups, make cards for CFHK to distribute.
Celebrities, such as Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and Nastia Liukin and actresses Lucy Hale and Lauren Conrad, have also gotten involved in the cause by donating autographs for the patients to receive with their cards and helping spread the word via social media.
A card may seem simple, but it means so much to the recipients. They are facing challenges no one should ever have to face and are missing out on many of the normal joys of childhood some take for granted.
The cards show children that someone is thinking of them. The cards impact many of the families as well by showing them that someone is pulling for their child.
Messages such as “You’re amazing” and “I believe in you” grace the covers and insides of the cards rather than messages that focus on the child’s illness.
CFHK looks past all classifications and welcomes anyone who wants to use their time and creative skills to impact a sick child’s life.
Using the instructions on CFHK’s website, anyone can make cards and send them to the organization.
CFHK’s website has information on hosting card-making events as well. It is a simple, yet beautiful way to impact the life of a hospitalized child.
If someone knows a hospitalized child who could use a card, contact CFHK via the “Refer a Child to receive a card form” at www.cardsforhospitalizedkids.com.
For the students at RBR, the opportunity to join in the organization’s goal of spreading hope and joy by making cards for hospitalized children is a chance to give a priceless gift that can make a meaningful difference in someone’s day.
