Thursday, February 18, 2016

Honda's CAS Reflection #1

The project I am involved in, along with Vannessa Wilson, is a newly created volunteer group that supports our local hospital. Our goal is to provide the patients of St. Mary’s with comfort and care as we plan on making blankets, knitted hats, care packages, etc. We also plan on helping the hospital in general volunteer forms. Vannessa has been a volunteer at the hospital for three years, providing ties with the volunteer coordinator to help us with our project. I have applied to be a volunteer and am waiting to hear from the hospital. So, far, we have made fundraising ideas that will help us to get yarn for hats, such as a basis yarn drive at our school. I have also reached out to a dentist/orthodontist office asking for any of their sample products that they plan on throwing away anyways. Things like toothpaste and toothbrushes for patients that stay overnight at hospitals without intention. With the products accumulated from business and school fundraisers, we can create care packages and hats or blankets. I do plan on asking a local beauty salon, in which I have a close family friend who works there, about donating any samples they do not plan on using. Samples such as small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, any makeup sample for women, can be used to add to the care packages.
This project reflects Creativity, Action, and Service because our group has created ideas to provide patients at the hospital care and comfort. We thought of hats and blankets for the winter season we are currently in.  Activity is shown by actively working and volunteering at the hospital by helping the faculty with anything they may need help with. Service is shown as we help the community through the hospital.

Vannessa's CAS Reflection #1


So far in my project, I am experiencing difficulties with the economic factor. I am in a group with Alejandra and we're making blankets, hats, and care packages for St. Mary's hospital. So, we need money to buy yarn to crochet the hats and we need products to make tie blankets. My ideas to fund-raise to buy the supplies are bake sales, coin drive, bingo night, or a raffle dinner. Another idea that also are to me was to do a yarn drive. I was thinking about doing it at Palisade High School; however, I feel teenagers won't have yarn and if they did they would want something in return for their donations. I could also go to stores like Joann's or Michael's and ask if I could have a cardboard box for a yarn drive and people would be more willing to donate to us. I could create a sign that read something like “yarn drive, CAS project that will benefit St. Mary's Hospital.” This way people will see that it is connected to the hospital and would want to help. Also, older people will have more yarn than teenagers at a high school in my opinion. However, this will only help in getting yarn for hats and I will still need to fundraiser to get money for the blankets. The volunteer service lady, Kris, liked Honda’s and I idea for the hospital very much which is a major success. She was even giving me other ideas to further my CAS project. The problem with getting money for my project is stressful and frustrating. Although, I have to get over that fear because without money I can’t do my project. I want to do my project because I want to improve my community and put happy and appreciated faces on the people staying at the hospital with our crocheted hats and handmade blankets made with love.