That’s How We Show We Care: BWFH gives back this holiday season

Here at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, one of the ways staff members are encouraged to show they care is by extending themselves. This holiday season, staff from all over the hospital did just that by reaching out and giving back to our community.

Organized by the Community Health and Wellness Department, BWFH adopted 10 families in need with children who attend the JP Manning Elementary School. Groups from Radiology, Food and Nutrition, Quality, Patient and Family Relations, Human Resources and Occupational Health Services, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Community Physicians, Anesthesia, the Operating Room, the Pharmacy and others all stepped up to help. In total, BWFH staff bought and wrapped gifts for 32 family members.

“It’s been another hard year for our staff here at BWFH,” says Community Health and Wellness Program Manager Katie Plante. “The fact that so many are willing to step up to make the holidays merry and bright for those in need, despite all that they are dealing with themselves, is truly inspiring.”

In similar fashion, the Department of Nursing supported the Italian Home for Children. 7 South and the Advanced Practice Provider Council organized drives to collect gifts to make Christmas special for the children at the Italian Home for Children. The Italian Home for Children provides an integrated network of powerful and effective programs to help children and families with emotional, behavioral and educational challenges thrive in their communities, and they are BWFH’s next-door neighbors!

These are just some of the examples of ways in which BWFH gave back this year. Another is the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, which collects and distributes toys to less fortunate children throughout the United States to help these children experience the joy of Christmas. The program seeks to play an active role in the development of the nation’s most valuable resources―its children―and to unite members of local communities in a common cause. Each year, the Police, Security, Safety and Parking Department at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner teams up with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve to conduct a Toys for Tots campaign.