Hospital Adding Facilities for Familes of Sick Children

Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, which serves nearly 50,000 children annually,  has launched a new social media campaign, called Building Blocks of Hope and Healing.  The campaign allows the public to personalize their on-line gift, while helping support children and families.

The campaign was designed to help fund renovations at the CHoNJ, located in Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.  The renovations will be used to transform a comfortable living area for parents of pediatric patients who stay overnight to be close to their hospitalized child.  The cost of renovations is approximately $1 million.
 
“Building Blocks of Hope and Healing is a great new concept and could revolutionize the way we think about using social media to fundraise today”, stated Holly Gauthier, Vice President of Development at the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Foundation. “Sleeping at the bedside is not an option on all units, and most parents prefer a comfortable bed to a reclining chair.  With this renovation, we’ll be able to keep families close to their loved ones during a long term hospital visit.”
 
By visiting www.BuildingBlocksofHope.org, individuals or organizations can purchase virtual blocks (space on the website), and personalize and link it to the website of their choice. Blocks can be used to advertise a business, dedicate a memorial to a loved one, or post a photo of family, friend, pets, etc. Pricing for these blocks are at the $25, $50, and $100 levels.

Once on the site, click donate and choose the donation amount desired through PayPal. Using a PayPal account is preferred, but all major credit cards are accepted. Donors are then redirected to a form to submit the content they wish to appear on their block.
 
“Families of patients who receive care at our Children’s Hospital do not want to leave the child overnight. In addition to the stress of having a sick child in the hospital, some families face the additional burden of not having a car or bus fare to go back and forth,” stated Jean Folsom, Associate Director of Development at the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Foundation. “Our goal is to be able to provide them with a comfortable place to sleep, a shower, a kitchen, laundry facilities, a place to complete their everyday tasks yet still be just moments away from a child who is here for an extended stay.”
 
Corporations interested in assisting with the renovation should contact Jean at jfolsom@barnabashealth.org.