Each year since 2008, Messiah University students have been helping to send smiles with Caitlin’s Smiles. This year, 700 freshmen gathered to help with outreach for children in medical facilities. The students filed into tables to send good thoughts and perform caring actions for children who will spend time in medical facilities.
These freshmen students assembled preschool foam bead necklaces, decorated paper bags that will be used to hold the contents of our Bags of Smiles and created all types of cards of encouragement. The assembled kits will be placed into Bags of Smiles and Coping Kits and Craft Kit boxes supplied to medical facilities for children under their care. The cards created by the students will be placed into Bags of Smiles and Coping Kits to send words of encouragement for pediatric patients who are in emergency departments, clinics, and staying overnight in hospitals.
Caitlin’s Smiles founder & director says of the event, “It is an honor to work with Messiah University as part of their service day. It is always impressive to see their staff and students so involved in helping charities not only in our area but also overseas.”
Messiah University has a Service Day every year. It is designed to fulfill their mission of “for lives of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.” While the freshmen worked exclusively on projects for Caitlin’s Smiles, upper classmen were split among 13 other charitable organizations.
Caitlin’s Smiles in honored and thankful to be among the charities that the university helps on this annual day of service.
The school donates all of the supplies for the service day.
