Caitlin’s Smiles will hold a combination volunteer day and fundraiser on Saturday, February 8, 2014 from 10 am to 4 pm at New Hope Church in Lower Paxton Township.
“Volunteers are the life-blood of Caitlin’s Smiles. We could not function without the dedication of our wonderful volunteers!” commented Cheryl Hornung, founder and director of Caitlin’s Smiles. Hornung started the organization in 2004 in memory of her seven-year-old daughter who lost her 3-year battle with cancer in 2000. “Caitlin would have loved what we are doing.”
Volunteers will make craft kits, cheery greeting cards, or 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 over 100 healthcare facilities. In 2013, nearly 12,000 of these Bags were distributed in Pennsylvania and eight other states.
A Craft and Vendor Fair will be held simultaneously with the Volunteer Day. A bake sale and blood drive will also run throughout the day, as well as a Silent Auction of gifts donated by the crafters and vendors, plus other goodies. (Crafters and vendors wishing to sell should contact Caitlin’s Smiles for more information.) Prizes will be raffled throughout the day.
People wishing to volunteer should register by calling or emailing Caitlin’s Smiles at 717-412-4759 or office.caitlinssmiles@comcast.net. Craft sessions will run in 2-hour periods from 10 am to noon, noon to 2 pm, and 2 to 4 pm.
The cost of admission is one craft item. Suggested crafts include: rubber bands (for “loom” bracelets), coloring books, Play-Doh, activity books (Sudoku, crosswords, word searches, etc.), pony beads, or zip-locking baggies (sandwich/snack).
