Caitlin’s Smiles will hold a combination volunteer day and fundraiser on Saturday, February 6, 2016, from 10 am to 4 pm, at New Hope Church, 584 Colonial Club Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17112. The cost of admission is one craft item. Suggested crafts include: coloring books, pony beads, plastic lacing (gimp), Play-Doh®, activity books (Sudoku, crosswords, word searches, etc.), comic books, chenille stems, or zip-locking baggies (sandwich-/snack-sized).
“We could not function without the dedication of our wonderful volunteers! This is a great opportunity for people to help us bring smiles to hospitalized children!” commented Cheryl Hornung, founder and director of Caitlin’s Smiles. Hornung started the organization in 2004 in memory of her 7-year-old daughter who lost her three-year battle with cancer in 2000. “Caitlin would have loved what we are doing.”
Volunteers will make a variety of craft kits and decorate gift bags to bring smiles to children with chronic or life-threatening conditions in hospitals and clinics in the Mid-Atlantic Region. These goodies are included in the “Bags of Smiles” sent by Caitlin’s Smiles to nearly 100 healthcare facilities. In 2015, 12,000 “Bags of Smiles” have been distributed in Pennsylvania and eight other states.
People wishing to volunteer for Have a Heart Day can register here. Craft sessions will run in two-hour periods from 10 am to noon, noon to 2 pm, and 2 pm to 4 pm. Prizes will be raffled throughout the day.
A craft fair, soup sale, bake sale and blood drive will occur in conjunction with the volunteer day. Craft fair products will include jewelry, food, books, purses, nail coverings, bakeware and more.
