Beneficiaries
Who You Will Help
It takes a team to heal a child, and volunteers are an essential part of that team! At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) volunteers perform a multitude of jobs – from creating activity kits for children who are too sick to leave their bedsides, to greeting families and helping visitors find their way through our halls.
As a volunteer, you make a life-changing difference for patients at CHOP and their families. You provide a special and meaningful connection, easing stress for patients and families going through challenging times.
Funds raised through Helping Hands supports Wawa Volunteer Services at CHOP, empowers the expansion of our volunteer program, engages more community members in our mission and spreads a ripple effect of kindness throughout the hospital and beyond. Volunteering is more than donating your time; it is a catalyst to uplift lives and forge new connections that bridge gaps in our young patients’ lives.
Wawa Volunteer Services at CHOP
A core component of Wawa Volunteer Services at CHOP is the Wawa Coffee and Care Cart. The first Wawa Cart started rolling at Children’s Hospital in 1992 with the goal of giving parents and caregivers of children a chance to take a break without leaving their child’s room. Today, eight Wawa Carts across two campuses are fully supported by the power of volunteers, who provide complimentary coffee, juice, teas and smiles to patients and families navigating a challenging time. Each year, more than 1,200 volunteers help on the Wawa Coffee and Care Cart, serving more than 1 million beverages and traveling 3,000+ miles! Learn more about volunteer opportunities.
Event Highlights
In 2025, volunteers assembled 30,000 kits to support various programs at CHOP aimed at improving the health and well-being of our young patients and community. At our most recent Helping Hands event, volunteers packed:
- 20,000 kid-friendly activity kits to support our Department of Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy
- 10,000 youth-appropriate kits to support our patients’ behavioral and mental health needs
In 2024, volunteers assembled 14,705 kits including:
- 6,855 menstrual kits to benefit our Homeless Health Initiative
- 5,000 activity and comfort kits to support families seeking care in our two Emergency Departments
- 2,100 kid-friendly activity kits to benefit our Department of Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy
- 750 backpacks filled with educational supplies to benefit our Hospital School Program
