STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- When a child falls ill and they're in the hospital, for parents or family members it can be incredibly difficult to boost their spirits and get them to focus on something else besides the pain. In this week's Making a Difference, Lindsay Ward discovered a group that is taking something as simple as a box and bring smiles to those who need it most.
The concept is fairly simple.
"When the hospital gets them, they can say, "Got a little girl in the ER that seems nervous and upset. Around 6 years old. Get a box'," Cindy Kolarik said.
At the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, boxes are filled with toys and given to children almost on a daily basis.
"I've been doing this for ten years, and no two boxes are the same," Kolarik said.
Kolarik is the director for the Jared Box Project. It started in 2001 at Our Lady of Victory Catholic School.
It was to honor a little boy named Jared McMullen, a 5-year-old who battled cancer before passing away.
Kolarik said Jared was very giving. He often went to his treatments with a backpack full of toys and would share them with other children.
To honor him and his caring personality, the idea to take plastic boxes, fill them with toys and deliver them to children in the hospital was born.
"We were just shocked and overwhelmed at the response," Kolarik said. "The hospital loved the boxes. We started getting Thank You notes."
It was supposed to be a one-time project, but it quickly turned into something much larger.
In the span of almost 15 years, over 200,000 boxes have been made in 47 states.
"We know that the major hospitals have these wonderful playrooms where the children can go and play video games and play board games, but the unique thing about the boxes is that's for them to keep," Kolarik said.
"The Mount Nittany Medical Center has been a part of it since the beginning," Matt Hardy said. "It's a great way to put a smile on the patient's face. Great volunteers at the hospital - there's 700 of them as a matter of fact."
Any organization or person can make one or thousands of boxes.
Kolarik said the cost to make each box is around $10.
It's a small amount with a big return: bring smiles and hope to children.
"It's kind of a home away from home," Kolarik said. "It's a perfect divergent."
For more information on the Jared Box Project, click here.
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