Project Share A Smile

My project began as a Theology class "Love Your Neighbor" project called Project CHaD. My peers and I were challenged to positively influence the lives of one or many people. After my surgery, I was inspired to do something to give back to the hospital that fixed my heart and to pay it forward to children like me. So, after brainstorming, I decided to make bags for the children in the pediatric ward at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth in Lebanon, NH. I hit the ground running and held a bake sale, supplies drive, and free-will offering at my Church. I raised more than $700 in money and supplies! I went shopping and had enough materials to assemble 80 tote bags. Then, I delivered these bags to the pediatric ward at Children's Hospital at Dartmouth in Lebanon, NH. After my project was over, I was enjoying myself so much that I decided to launch an extension of Project CHaD now known as Project Share A Smile. In the past 10 months, I have created a project website, held another bake sale and a tree ornament sale, sent out numerous solicitation letters, and made three more deliveries of 40 bags each to 3 local hospitals. For February, I am planning another delivery of two sets of 20 bags each to two more hospitals in New Hampshire. So far, I have delivered 200 tote bags in total. I don't foresee a time in the future without it; I plan to continue Share A Smile as long as I have the means to do so. I hope that I have impacted the children who have received my bags in a way they will never forget. I want them to see what a little love can do, and I hope they are inspired to pay the kind deed forward. In the end, if I have made one child smile, then I will have done what I set out to do.