3 Ways to Give Happiness to Hospitalized Kids
Happiness is in giving! When you give the joy of the holidays to a hospitalized child, they’re filled with warmth and delight in the moments they need it most.
You can brighten the days of hospitalized kids and their families.
Here are 3 ideas on how you can give happiness and holiday cheer to seriously ill kids.
1) Donate a gift for a child to look forward to.
Kids hospitalized during the holidays miss out on celebrations like opening presents and singing festive songs. Imagine a child’s delight and surprise, then, when they receive the gift of a new toy!
The comfort and joy children receive from these gifts give them a sense of normalcy and celebration, turning a challenging time into one filled with laughter and holiday spirit.
Skip the Hassle & Make a Direct Impact
Don’t have time to stop by your local hospital? Skip the hassle of shopping for and delivering a gift!
Donate to hospitals through organizations like Starlight! Donate to send Starlight Toy Deliveries including toys, books, movies, arts and crafts. Starlight Toy Deliveries are pre-approved to meet hospital safety guidelines and are directly delivered to Starlight’s hospital network of over 700 medical facilities across the nation.
“You have brought her so much joy. The items that we have received has elucidated some of the sadness that comes with a diagnosis... When you send something for a day when she has to go in [to the hospital] she has a prize look forward to.”
- Gina, Georgia's mom
2) Fundraise to deliver programs that enhance kids' emotional resilience.
As the holidays align with flu and RSV season, medical facilities institute strict safety rules and guidelines. Visitations are restricted as well as opportunities for kids to socialize with others in common spaces like playrooms.
Kids in the hospital during the holidays may feel isolated and lonely and need resources to help them cope and stay resilient.
Consider fundraising to provide Starlight programs, resources that help kids maintain a sense of emotional and mental wellbeing. Kids feel happy when they put on cozy Starlight Hospital Gowns. Vibrantly designed with kids’ favorite characters, they give kids emotional support and bring warmth that eases anxieties and fears about hospitalization.
Starlight Toy Deliveries give kids familiarity and comfort that makes the hospital a less stressful and scary place.
Fundraise today to deliver Starlight programs free of cost to hospitals everywhere, including those in Starlight’s network who serve medically underserved and vulnerable populations.
“Starlight programs MOST DEFINITELY changed the hospital experience for Gitano! He was so sad, nervous and scared not knowing why he was feeling the way he was and why he had to be here [at the hospital]. Having the representative, Danielle come in and surprise him with a Minecraft Lego set [Starlight Toy Delivery] was everything to him. It completely turned his attitude and anxiety around.” - Nikole, Giato’s mom
Fun Ways to Fundraise with Starlight
Choose one of our signature fundraising initiatives like Stream For Starlight's 12 Days of Streaming, set up a custom fundraising page, or start a fundraiser on Facebook or Instagram. Your impact can go even further when you invite your community to give happiness to hospitalized kids.
Not sure where to start? Read our blog on 12 Seriously Fun Fundraising Ideas!
3) Raise awareness on social media to support hospitalized kids.
Share the mission of a nonprofit supporting hospitalized kids with your family and friends. You can garner support for the nonprofit just by sharing the stories of the impact they are making. Re-share the nonprofit’s social media posts.
If you or someone you love has been impacted by childhood illness, share your story to bring awareness of the importance of helping children and families navigating hospitalization.
The heart of Starlight’s mission is to deliver happiness to seriously ill kids and their families. Hear from families how Starlight has transformed their hospital experiences and share their stories to build awareness on Starlight’s blog and social media channels, including Instagram and Facebook.
Giving back during the holidays brings happiness to yourself and those you are supporting. When you give happiness to hospitalized kids and their families, you give them a much-needed break and a way to create merry moments together.
Over 100,000 children are hospitalized during December each year. Fulfill holiday wishes by partnering with Starlight to ensure that every hospitalized child can feel the season’s joy and warmth.
Donate today.
