On Wednesday, August 1, the Child Life Department at CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth received a Hospital Care Package from Disney filled with hundreds of toys, activities, and movies for pediatric patients.“The Hospital Care Packages have been a critical part of the work we do for seriously ill children because they allow us to make the greatest impact by reaching children in 445 hospitals across the country. We are thrilled that, this year, we were able to double the value of each package received in order to deliver more opportunities to bring some comfort and joy during their stays in the hospital,” says Elissa Margolis, senior vice president, Enterprise Social Responsibility, The Walt Disney Company.
To create the Disney Hospital Care Packages, the Company partners with the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) to carefully select products that have been determined to be the most effective in reducing stress and promoting play. Starlight Children’s Foundation assists with the assembly and distribution of these special collections of items to more than 445 children’s hospitals in the U.S. and Canada.
The Disney Hospital Care Packages are comprised of a broad selection of products that are intended for kids ranging from toddlers to 18 years old, including the latest DVD releases from The Walt Disney Studios, popular toys from Disney store, top titles from Disney Publishing and digital products such as downloadable apps, game codes, video games, music and other exclusive downloads and rewards memberships. They also contain one item that can’t be found anywhere else: a Marvel comic book that has been created in partnership with ACLP exclusively for the special care packages. A fifth version of the comic book is currently part of the product assortment and continues to be a unique and in-demand product at recipient children’s hospitals.
The care packages are designed to bring comfort and a sense of normalcy to children while they are hospitalized, and represent just one of the ways that the Company is leveraging Disney’s beloved characters and stories to inspire young patients and ease the stress of a hospital stay through the Team of Heroes philanthropy and outreach program.