Photo by Carmen Tedeschi
By Carmen Tedeschi, Christian Fellowship, Outside Contributor
This year marked the fourth time Christian Fellowship collaborated with Phi Theta Kappa on campus to make Thanksgiving cards for children in the hospital. Our annual event was Nov. 12 and 13 in the Cafetereia. We delivered the cards to Cards for Hospitalized Children (CFHC) on Nov. 14.
Last year, both Christian Fellowship and Phi Theta Kappa made about 270 cards. We far surpassed our goal of over 100 total cards. This year, our event was so successful that 531 cards were made! Fantastic, and very surprising for both our groups. We shared expenses and materials, working in the cafeteria with anyone who wanted to make a card. Student Life provided a hot chocolate bar with decorated cookies. Students loved making these cards and were quite creative. An older lady called it therapeutic. One student said she loved doing crafts. Many students stated how sweet it was to make cards for children. I am so appreciative and grateful for our collaboration and for students who gave their time. Phi Theta Kappa is to be commended for cheerfully making cards as part of a service project.
At the CFHK headquarters in Chicago. I met Mr. Rubino, father of the founder of the organization, Jen Rubino. He mentioned that there weren’t as many cards this year, and that our cards came just in time. He personally sat down to type a thank you letter addressed to me, our club, and Phi Theta Kappa. Again, I feel that we were blessed to participate in this event and experience the generosity of so many students.
History of Cute Cards for Kids Event
Initially, Christian Fellowship held the annual event on “S” street, the corridor leading from Admissions to the cafeteria. It started as a one-day event for three hours with a goal to make 100 cards. We later collaborated with Student Life, still on “S” Street, and still aimed for 100 cards. At that time, service projects were not required from clubs. Previous Managers of Student Life, Amanda Bendoraitis and Kayla Bucci, suggested that Phi Theta Kappa students work to make cards as a service project with Christian Fellowship. Under their leadership, clubs had new requirements to participate in a service project each semester. We helped each other, not only fulfilling the requirements of our respective groups, but also in a worthwhile cause.
When Christian Fellowship launched this annual event in 2018, cards were initially sent to Hope Children’s Hospital. After COVID, the hospital no longer accepted homemade cards. I found the organization, CFHC, who did take holiday cards to distribute to hospitals. The purpose of making cards specifically for children in the hospital is to brighten a hospital stay, uplift the spirit, bring joy, and let children know that someone cares for them and thinks of them while in they are in the hospital. Sadly, there are some children that do not receive family visits or any positive sentiments.
All photos provide by Carmen Tedeschi
Childhood Experience and Paying it Forward
There are few organizations that bring cards to children in hospitals. This is a brief story of Cards for Hospitalized Kids’ founder, Jen Rubino, in her own words.
“My name is Jen Rubino and I am the founder of Cards for Hospitalized Kids (CFHK). My inspiration for founding CFHK comes from my own experiences as a “hospitalized kid”, undergoing 20+ surgeries in the hospital as a child. Growing up, I was a competitive gymnast training 6 days a week. I visited the doctor after experiencing pain in my wrist, which I assumed was from an injury. However, my life changed instantly when I was diagnosed with a childhood connective tissue and bone disease that ultimately required 20+ surgeries in order to be treated.
I had to adjust to surgeries, treatments, pain and hospitals being a regular part of my life. My experiences in the hospital showed me just how difficult it is to be a child or teen who is hospitalized and/or seriously ill. Hospitalized kids often feel forgotten, sad, lonely and isolated. They also miss out on many of the normal joys of childhood very often taken for granted such as: attending school regularly, playing sports, attending school clubs, dances, etc.
There was one specific hospital stay that was particularly difficult for me. It was in February 2011, and I was recovering from a major hip reconstructive surgery at Lurie Children’s Hospital. During the operation, the doctors had to break my hip in 5 places and then completely re-construct & re-position it. This is a very rare surgery only performed by 10 Children’s hospitals in the United States. I was in extreme pain, had lost a lot of blood and spent a week in the pediatric intensive care unit. I also faced a year of rehabilitation and physical therapy to recover and learn to walk again.
I was missing school, my friends and life outside the hospital. During that very difficult time, I received a handmade card from a hospital volunteer that really brightened my dad and reminded me I wasn’t forgotten. This inspired me to found CFHK to do the same for other kids.
While CFHK began as a small, local effort, it has grown into the national charity it is today. Over 500,000 cards have now been distributed. I have seen firsthand how impactful the cards are for the receiving patients and their families.
As the executive director of CFHK, I’m able to combine my own experience as a patient and my desire to help others in a way that allows me to help hospitalized kids across America who are facing what I’ve faced. I’m so thankful to be able to use my experiences to help others.”
Christian Fellowship is a club that provides a safe haven for discussion, study, and engagement for Christian principles and adherence to the bible. It is typically a small club, but has a large heart for those seeking meaning, purpose, friendship, and God’s love. The club meets on Wednesdays from 1-2:30 in U211. Since the semester is almost over and with the college closed for Thanksgiving, regular studies will resume next semester. There will be a short meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20 and one last meeting in December. All are welcome to join us.
