Beyond The Walls Of BWH
This December, a troop of Girls Scouts will scramble to ensure that nearly 800 needy children will receive a holiday gift. The troop, which is led by Cathy Saniuk, BSN, (pictured) program coordinator for Critical Care at BWH, includes her daughter, age 13, and the daughters of Pat McDougal, program coordinator of the Gifts for Kids Program, now in its 10th year.
The troop gathers gifts from donors, who stream to the Girl Scout meeting house in Sharon. The presents are destined for disadvantaged children who live in the communities of Canton, Dedham, Foxboro, Medfield, Millis, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Walpole, Westwood and Wrentham. “When we’re done, our meeting house looks like Santa’s workshop,” said Saniuk, who has helped the program for six years running.
Here’s how it works: Organizers obtain the first name, age, clothing size, gift preferences and needs of the children from human service agencies. This information, coded with a number, is given to hundreds of sponsors-- some of them schoolchildren who pool their money. Everyone brings their unwrapped gifts, along with gift wrap and tags for parents to later wrap the gifts, to designated sites and times on December 11 and 13. The gifts are sorted and returned to the agencies, who deliver them to the children’s homes, all in time for the holidays.
“Last year, more than 20 BWH staff and several departments sponsored children,” said Saniuk. She is happy to save them a step by collecting gifts at her office. Gifts of cash also are welcome and help buy presents for children who didn’t get a specific sponsor.
If you wish to sponsor a child or support the program, please contact Cathy Saniuk at ext. 7042.