BENEFICIARIES

Who You Will Help

It takes a team to heal a sick 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 difficult 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 beyond the hospital walls. 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.

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 difficult time. Learn more.

Volunteers will create kits to support the critical mission of the Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department at CHOP. Staying at the hospital is incredibly challenging – especially for a child. This year, more than 30,000 children will be admitted to CHOP. Through our Child Life Department, CHOP provides evidence-based, developmentally and psychologically appropriate interventions. This includes therapeutic play, preparation for procedures, and education that reduces fear, anxiety and pain for children and families.

Volunteers will help assemble hygiene kits to be distributed across CHOP’s network to patients and families in need. In a national survey of 1,000 teens, 20% of teens struggled to afford menstrual products and 80% missed class time because they did not have access to period products. Unfortunately, government benefits, such as SNAP and WIC, do not cover the cost of these necessary supplies. To meet this unmet need for our adolescent patients, CHOP assesses period poverty among patient families. With your support, CHOP can provide hygiene kits and resources to those who need them. We plan to extend our community outreach further to provide menstrual products to youth experiencing housing instability in Philadelphia-area shelters supported by CHOP’s Homeless Health Initiative.

Volunteers will pack school supply kits to support our Hospital School Program and CHOP Primary Care sites. School is an integral part of every child’s life. For many children who are facing a complex diagnosis, frequent or prolonged hospitalization disrupts their education during a vital time for their development and learning. Through the Hospital School Program, CHOP provides patients with educational support to maintain and advance their academic progress during hospital stays. These educational interventions not only ensure that no patient is left behind but also forge a connection to a patient’s life beyond the hospital walls, creating normalcy and reducing stress.