Strike a Chord: Students Bring Happiness to Kids in Hospitals
Students
Life can be challenging for kids facing the ordeal of a long-term hospital stay. However, there is a group of kids hard at work to make life easier for kids in hospitals.
Renee Rizzo's class here at PS. 721K in Brooklyn has turned itself into an assembly line. One student grabs a yellow bag from a stack, labeled "Project Sunshine" on the side. The bag gets loaded with stickers, markers, and a small journal. Then these kits are loaded into a box and sent to kids staying long-term in hospitals.
This classroom assembly line is part of a nationwide program run by the nonprofit Project Sunshine, called "Kids for Kids." Tara Pokras, a volunteer coordinator with Project Sunshine, said these kits bring something more than just journals and stickers to kids stuck in hospitals: Joy.
"Oh it's really amazing. They're just so excited to see something so fun, and colorful," said Pokras. "The hospital experience is so cold and sterile, and sometimes when they see project sunshine, they get excited."
Rizzo said the kit-making program is ideal for students like hers who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
"So I thought that Project Sunshine--the repetition, the routine of the task--allowed for my students to grow in their communications and social skills," said Rizzo of the assembly line process. "And it also gave them a chance to give back to the community, which I think is really important for them to be aware of," added Rizzo.
Joseph DiGirolamo, one of Rizzo's students, said he likes knowing that kids somewhere will enjoy the fruits of their labor, these journal kits.
"It's very important for us, because the kids are going to be very happy about what they're going to do," said DiGirolamo.
When asked if she too enjoyed the program, classmate Cindy Sanz agreed with DiGirolamo.
"Yeah, it's fun," she said with a smile.
So service is a two-way street for these kids. When they go out and try to make a difference, everyone wins.
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