Suzy Lohman felt compelled to take motion when she heard that foster youngsters handled at Cincinnati Kids’s Hospital Medical Middle usually didn’t have correct luggage for his or her belongings. Impressed by a request for suitcases, duffel luggage and backpacks in a hospital e-newsletter, Suzy launched a marketing campaign amongst EVS workers to gather these important objects. She knew that many foster youngsters relied on trash luggage to move their garments and private objects between dwelling and hospital visits.

With the approval of EVS Regional Operations Director Adam Wilhite, Suzy rapidly deployed roughly 424 EVS workers throughout the hospital’s 4 campuses. The challenge, held in January, coincided with a service initiative honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Led by the EVS group on the Liberty Hospital campus, Crothall workers collected roughly 150 suitcases, duffel luggage and backpacks. Throughout the hospital, roughly 400 objects had been donated to native charities, nearly all of which went to the hospital’s supported foster care program.

“One of many causes this system was so profitable is that the donated objects did not must be new; they could possibly be used gently,” mentioned Suzy, who donated a duffel bag. “So it could possibly be a suitcase that somebody already had at dwelling. We ended up amassing so many luggage that the hospital despatched somebody to choose them up.”

EVS technician Amanda Holcomb donated a number of collapsible duffel luggage. “I felt I ought to contribute as a result of I wish to assist anybody in want,” Amanda mentioned. “I would like foster youngsters to have one thing good to hold their stuff with.”

Alyssa Binik-Thomas, Coaching Supervisor, mentioned motherhood impressed her donation. “As a mom of three, it damage to know that youngsters in foster care had been carrying their belongings in rubbish luggage. My youngsters had outgrown their Trunki suitcase and I did not hesitate to verify at the least one baby had one thing of their very own. Kids in foster care deserve love and the essential requirements of life. That is the naked minimal we will do.”

A particular trophy for Crothall

In honor of the Crothall EVS group, Cincinnati Kids’s held an awards breakfast, presenting a trophy to the group. The hospital additionally shared images, a video with AI-generated pictures of kids (to adjust to HIPAA), and information tales on its intranet.

“The breakfast and the trophy had been an exquisite shock,” says Lohman. “It is one other instance of robust management on the hospital and the way a lot they worth everybody right here, together with Crothall.”

“The Crothall group supplied nearly all of donations and we wished to indicate our appreciation,” mentioned Haley Shropshire, the hospital’s director of group engagement.

Crothall leaders plan to repeat the suitcase drive yearly, with the purpose of amassing at the least 150 objects subsequent yr.

“It is heartening that our workers are stepping up and offering the most important variety of donations,” mentioned Paul Easthon, Regional Director of Operations. “Their generosity, empathy and dedication to the youngsters made this effort particularly significant.”