January 3, 2021
The holidays are always a special time for St. Mary’s Kids. The COVID pandemic has changed many ways about how we gather when celebrating. We may need to see fewer people, maintain a small bubble, and refrain from physical contact, but the holidays can still be a time of warmth, love, and celebration even in the most difficult times. In 2020, St. Mary’s Kids and our dedicated hospital staff celebrated the holidays safely, with joy and warmth.
In 2020, St. Mary’s Hospital for Children marked its 150th year serving children with special needs, critically ill children, and children with complex medical conditions and their families. Because the children at St. Mary’s are some of the most vulnerable to COVID, their protection has been paramount throughout the pandemic. Our facility specializes in innovative therapies and rehabilitation techniques, as well as warm connections to family and community in order to support health, happiness, and recovery. This means that the COVID pandemic presented a new challenge, helping to nurture familial and community connections virtually as well as physically.
FaceTime, Zoom, virtual movie nights, and activities became standard at St. Mary’s, with a holiday twist. Dedicated staff members marked the holidays with St. Mary’s Kids, celebrating safely and fostering a connection with loved ones outside the hospital.
For St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, the holidays often bring gifts of all sizes from community members, companies, and organizations that want to bring joy to our children and young adults. Not only do the holidays mark a generous period of fundraising, but many people have also given toys, organized shows and visits, and made the holidays a delightful experience over the years. For 2020, however, St. Mary’s Hospital for Children developed new holiday giving guidelines.
Instead of the in-person gifts and holiday galas that are usually held to support St. Mary’s during the holiday season, 2020 saw multiple successful virtual fundraisers and peer-to-peer activities with personalized donation pages. While people may have been unable to come together in person for celebration, they were able to come together virtually to donate to a great cause.
There are many ways to get involved with St. Mary’s Kids during the holiday season and all year round. Our Amazon wish list is a way that you can provide tangible gifts and resources to St. Mary’s Kids, delivered safely and securely. Gifts must be delivered directly to St. Mary’s due to COVID-19 restrictions, and this Amazon wish list is one way to bring back the magic of toy donations without the danger of in-person contact.
The Amazon wish list is not the only way to support St. Mary’s at this time. When you select St. Mary’s as the charity you support on Amazon Smile when shopping from home, St. Mary’s can receive an added bonus not only from gifts from our wish list but from any Amazon purchase. With the growth of online shopping, this is one great way to sustain St. Mary’s Kids at a challenging time.
Supporters help to keep the holidays warm and connected even in the most difficult times and to foster a connection with loved ones throughout the year. Consider making an online donation today, attending an online fundraiser, or even organizing a virtual fundraising event as St. Mary’s enters 2021.
