Caitlin's Smiles On The Move

"All in one!" "All on one floor!" Volunteers who walked up and down three flights of steps in Dauphin or drove across town to get supplies from storage units will soon be working from one place on one floor! As more and more pediatric hospitals, clinics and stand-alone units are requesting Bags of Smiles® and craft kits, the parish house of Zion Lutheran Church in Dauphin is bursting at the seams and three storage units are filled with books and supplies waiting to be repackaged and shipped to children.

A year-long search for new space has culminated with a lease for functional space at 3303 North 6th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110. Two offices, a conference room and a huge assembly and display area make up the street-side rooms of the multipurpose building which gets lots of natural light and is barrier-free. A door from the assembly area opens into the warehouse for easy inventory and "picking" of supplies for hospital orders to be processed and shipped from the front.

The joy of this move is tempered by the facts that we had free space, utilities and equipment at Zion. Now we need just about everything. Be sure to read "Stuff," "Skill," and "Money" articles below. Then call or email to help. Thanks!

Stuff

Furniture for the offices including desks, chairs, file cabinets and conversational seating are needed. Tables and shelves for warehouse and assembly areas get the work done. A large LCD TV, LCD projector, conference table and chairs, easels and white boards will help with instruction, training and on-the-road speaking. A mini refrigerator will support staff and volunteers for lunch and meetings. Space heaters could be used to save energy instead of heating large areas. We need your help but we will look all "gift horses" in the mouth. Safe and useable are more important than free and more than we need is not helpful.

Skill

Some carpentry and handy person skills are needed to get the new space in shape. One Initial and ongoing cleaning/janitorial service is important for the well-being of staff, volunteers and visiting children. On site warehouse workers, product sorters, bag packers, shipping coordinators and delivery folks are always needed. We are looking for people who enjoy social networking (YouTube, Facebook, blogs) and who are willing to help others share the work of Caitlin's Smiles by teaching, explaining or coordinating these tools to expand our services and support. Now more than ever we need people who can regularly volunteer for data entry and database management, grant research and grant writing.

Money

A Fund Raising Committee has been formed and is hard at work planning a house warming party for this Spring and an anniversary celebration for the Fall. We will be asking all of our friends to identify some of their friends, companies that they work with and organizations to which they belong that might catch the vision of our service and want to help.

Caitlin Mary Hornung

Help someone smile today by doing any of the simple things below. It doesn't take a lot to make a big difference in a child's life. Visit our volunteer page for more specific ways you can help.

• Donate creative materials for our Bag of Smiles kits
• Volunteer to help create kits to coordinating activities
• Make a tax-deductible monetary donation. (We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization)

What a difference a smile makes!

Caitlin's favorite colors were yellow and pink. She enjoyed swinging, taking walks and playing outside. Caitlin loved art, dancing and singing to Disney songs, dressing up, playing with her dog and cat and taking care of her baby sister, Danielle. Her little sister, Danielle, was 11 months old when Caitlin was diagnosed.

Caitlin spent the next 3 - 1/2 years battling for her life. She lost her battle October 2000 just before her eighth birthday. She had been treated at Penn State Children's Hospital, New York College of Medicine, Tomorrow's Children Foundation in Hackensack New Jersey and at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. She underwent many surgeries, chemotherapy treatments, stem cell transplant, radiation treatments, hundreds of blood transfusions and two long stays in the Intensive Care Unit. Her cancer appeared to have been in remission several times but kept recurring.

Caitlin kept her positive focus throughout her treatment by always carrying a backpack filled with arts and craft supplies. She was always coloring pictures for her friends, family and hospital staff. She gave out hundreds of necklace and bracelet kits. Sharp new crayons, drawing paper, stickers, beads and Play Doh always kept her smiling. We soon learned from Caitlin that healing was as much as a mental process as a physical one. She always wondered what we were going to do next! Caitlin passed on in 2000, but her smiling spirit is alive through Caitlin's Smiles™ .

Why We Exist

Caitlin's Smiles was named in memory of Caitlin Mary Hornung, who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 1997. Caitlin enjoyed doing craft projects, receiving cards from friends, eating Eat 'N Park Smiley Cookies and playing with her little sister. She shared lots of smiles to everyone she met. Caitlin passed on in October 2000, but through her mother, family, friends and volunteers like you, she lives on to put smiles on other ill children's faces.

Who Are We?

Caitlin's Smiles was founded as a 501 c-3 nonprofit organization by Caitlin's family in March 2004 not only to keep Caitlin's memory alive but to help other families going through this life shattering experience. Our mission is to help put smiles on the faces of children facing chronic or life threatening conditions by encouraging them to focus upon creative arts activities to boost their confidence and self worth.

In 2008, Caitlin's Smiles reached over 70,000 children in regional hospitals.

Please help us put smiles on the faces of children in hospitals!

How Are We Funded?

Our funds come from grants, community and civic groups, businesses, manufacturers, special events, churches, schools and private donations. We do not use telemarketers.

Our Mission

Our mission is quite simply to put smiles on the faces of children facing chronic or life- threatening illnesses by encouraging them to focus upon creative arts activities to boost their self-confidence and self-worth.

Our Vision

Caitlin's Smiles recognizes that creativity is vital to a child's normal growth and development. The Creative Arts Care Program recognizes the children as unique individuals and strives to heighten their feelings of self-worth and competency by providing them with opportunities to be creative and successful with a variety of creative art experiences.

Sign up & Get Involved!

A great way to get involved is to join our mailing list. You'll periodically receive information about programs and events. We absolutely do not share this information and it is used only for Caitlins Smiles related events and programs.

 

 

Caitlin's Smiles is a non-profit organization dedicated to putting smiles on the faces of children with chronic or life-threatening diseases by encouraging them to focus on creative arts activities that boost their confidence and self-worth.

• Founded by Caitlin's mother, Cheryl Hornung, along with family and friends
• Funded by grants, private donors, community and civic groups, businesses, churches and schools, and kind people like you
• Reaches children in hospitals around the country