Outreach Impact
On August 31, 2010 the team of players, Guideposts, Florida Marlins and Holtz staff hosted a “Kids Appreciation Day” to introduce Comfort Kits to children at the Holtz Children’s Hospital. Over 35 children and parents participated in the festive day, along with several hospital staff, doctors, a chaplain and nurses passing through to enjoy the fun. The room was decorated with stars and baseball paraphernalia and included different stations where children could participate in arts and crafts, a Sparkle stress ball toss, spin the Marlin wheel for prizes and face
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Rhonda H. Neal
Guideposts Outreach Services
rneal@guideposts.orgKids Appreciation Day at Holtz Children’s Hospital Features an All-Star Team
As any parent of a hospitalized child knows, you look for comfort in any form you can. Hospital stays are scary for anyone, but especially so for children.
How do you comfort a child who has lost everything?
How do you comfort a child who has lost everything twice?
Such was the case of many Haitian children in the hours and days after the earthquake on January 12. These children had already been orphaned or abandoned by their parents. Whether it was because of the death of one or both parents, or because their parents could not support them, tens of thousands of children were already living in orphanages large and small all across the island.
“Daddy – Daddy – I’m special! – look I’m special!” Those were the words my seven year old daughter shouted to her Dad as she showed him the new bracelet she was wearing courtesy of her Guideposts Comfort Kit. Both my husband and I choked back a tear as he said “yes honey you are”.
He knows what it’s like to be the parent of a child hospitalized with a critical illness – at five months in the womb, Paul, the son of Vice President of Ministries Pablo Diaz was diagnosed with fluid in the kidneys caused by a life-threatening blockage. Thus began an excruciating saga of hospitalizations and five operations before Paul was a year old.
Guideposts Comfort Kit Ministry Continues Rapid Development
Parents of hospitalized children, struggling to balance home, work and the needs of a beloved sick or injured child, need all the spiritual support they can get, and Guideposts Comfort Kits Ministry is doing just that.
With the distribution of 25,000 Comfort Kits, this brand new Comfort Kit Ministry is growing by leaps and bounds to fulfill its mission of bringing spiritual and emotional support to our nation’s hospitalized children.
It was a glorious, celebratory day this past April in Branson, Mo. when Rhonda R. Neal, Manager of Outreach Services, announced the official kick-off of the Guideposts for Kids Comfort Kit Ministry to our National Advisory Cabinet and Guideposts friends. Opening ceremonies were followed by an inspiring presentation by Chaplain Cavett demonstrating the critical spiritual value of Guideposts Outreach newest program for ill and hospitalized children. Chaplain Anna Gentile closed by dedicating the kits with a grateful prayer.