With 132 yards of double-sided fleece collected and 30 members at work, National Honor Society made 28 blankets in the span of two hours.
On Jan. 22, NHS held its first group volunteering event of the semester after school in the media center from 1:30 p.m. to 3p.m.. The club gathered to make blankets and cards for the Orlando Winnie Palmer Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
The hospital’s main specialty is maternal care, but they are home to many infants born with birth defects. Many of the children are very young and are in need of support. The club wanted to provide help, not only to the hospital but to the babies and families.
“Since NICU babies are not allowed to be home, we wanted to provide a little more warmth and comfort during their stay,” NHS secretary Christin Smith said. “The letters were made to provide support for the parents and family members as they visit the children.”
NHS has partnered with the hospital for three years and made this event accessible for members to get both group and individual hours. Students who were interested in obtaining individual hours had to bring two yards of double-sided fleece per hour for a maximum of three hours. Students were asked to avoid bringing yellow fleece since it can make the babies look jaundiced. In addition, members were asked to prevent any exposure to pet hair or dust.
“I made sure to have my friend [store] it for me so I wouldn’t contaminate it with my pet’s hair,” senior Guadalupe Maggio said.
Sixteen students brought fleece with different colors and styles such as polar bears, sushi, butterflies and marbling. To make the blankets, students needed two pieces of one-yard fleece, making half-inch wide and three-inch deep cuts around the borders to tie the two pieces together. Students had to make sure the blankets were tied all around in order to prevent breakage.
“I adored our blanket because one side was cute polar bears, and the other was a pastel pink. I hope a baby can feel our warmth and care through the blanket,” senior Macy Drewry said.
In addition to the blankets, students wrote letters for the parents of the babies in the NICU. The letters had encouraging messages for the mothers and families as well as illustrations of cradles, baby carriages and balloons. Students wrote 46 letters, some of which were written in Spanish.
This event is not the last that will be held in school. NHS is planning a Paws Around The World event in collaboration with cultural clubs. Cultural clubs and honor societies will have tables with food, games, and music. The event is set for March 28 during both lunches.
“NHS proposed Paws Around The World as a way to make Hagerty students more aware and involved in cultural clubs,” Smith said. “The main pillars that members will demonstrate is service as they help the clubs host their activities and embrace the different culture here.”
