Community Project to benefit the neonatal intensive care unit at the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters
2010 We have TWO Community Projects this year.
We will again ask for the public’s help in collecting baby clothes, socks, receiving blankets, to be donated to the NICU at CHKD. Sizes preemies to 3 months.
The second project is making and donating 65 isolette covers for the NICU at CHKD. This will include having material, backing, thread, donated and also volunteers to cut out the pattern and volunteers to sew the covers.
Chase in neonatal unit at CHKD 2009
We decided to “double up” on Community Projects because of the event that happened on September 12, 2009 when our first grandchild was born. He was only 26 weeks old, 2 lbs. 3 oz. He was due December 16th. He was immediately sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and remained there until right before Christmas. We had an entire education, one that nobody would volunteer for. During that time, we learned that they have a “care closet” for donated blankets, clothes, socks, hats. According to the Parent Coordinators it was very low as infection control policies now require any article being “loaned” to someone go home with them and not be returned to the closet.
This care closet need resulted in Project idea #1, collect baby clothes, socks, receiving blankets and the like for CHKD.
Through the experience with our grandson, we learned that preemies are overstimulated from the very beginning. They are supposed to still be in a warm dark friendly place; they are not yet ready for the outside world. Therefore, the isolette’s they sleep in MUST be kept dark. CHKD never has enough covers to go around, so Project #2 was born.
If you would like to donate materials or time to either of these projects, we appreciate your help. If you business would like to volunteer to be a drop off point for materials, please contact us so we can add your information to this web page.
Thank you to all who help Home Sweet Home Care help others.
Warmly,
Shirley McGee
If you would like to help us sew you can click on the diagram of the isolette cover, to the left. It will give you an idea of what is involved with making one. If you have any questions and/or would like to make one please contacts us at (757) 356-0342
UPDATE:
We reached our goal thanks to all our volunteers! Members of the community, including employees of Home Sweet Home Care, donated fabric and/or money to purchase fabric; and volunteers cut out and sewed together the isolette covers. Our goal was 65 covers because that is the number of beds in the CHKD Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Home Sweet Home Care Inc. sponsored this project through the provision of materials, money to purchase materials, and hundreds of employee hours throughout the year, which were spent coordinating donations, managing the sewing of isolette covers and sewing isolette covers. However, without a broad base of volunteerism our goal would never have been met. Thus we want to send a very special and heart-felt thank you to ALL who were involved in Home Sweet Home Care’s 2010 Community Projects for the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. In particular, we would like to recognize:
• Rachel Martin, who donated many hours coordinating, advising, making patterns, cutting out fabric, sewing together 20 isolette covers, as well as donating $50 worth of fabric
• Helen Carter, donated her time to sew together 12 isolette covers
• Kris Steil, donated her time to purchase, cut out, and sew together 3 isolette covers
• Donna Powell, donated her time to purchase, cut out, and sew together 5 isolette covers
• Nancy Musey, donated $50 worth of fabric
• Mulkey, Reid and Barton, PLC, donated $200 for fabric and supplies
• Stephanie Jensen, donated $175 for fabric and supplies
• Kathy Taylor, her sister Debbie Carson, and their mother knitted and donated over 100 preemie to newborn-sized hats
Through these and the many combined donations from community members, Home Sweet Home Care was able to supply CHKD’s Care Closet with 15 bags of preemie to 3 month-old sized clothing! AND we were successful in making an isolette cover for each of the 65 beds in the CHKD Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this 2010 project. You have made a difference in so many lives!