The People Center held its annual retreat this week, and the team building exercise for part of the day was a Do Good activity.
The team wanted to do something that would allow everyone to give back to the community in a supportive way.
After reaching out to the National Life Cancer Treatment Center, the team decided to assemble 75 STRENGTH bags for distribution to cancer patients on their healing journey.
The People Center put a NL Our Vision, Our Mission, and Our Values card in each bag signed by everyone on the People Center team with a label on the back saying Your friends at National Life want you to have this bag of comfort to brighten your day and let you know we are thinking of you. “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” ~ E. Roosevelt
Each bag contained warm socks, a CIGNA fleece blanket, adult coloring book and pencils, National Life coffee mug, National Life ear buds, National Life journal and pen, Peppermint Tea, Peppermint Altoids, Queasy Pops, a world stress ball so they could plan the next trip they would want to take after their treatments end.
The People Center also added some humor to the STRENGTH bag with a small bag of Nurse bait with 10 Hershey kisses. The note in each bag said, “When one’s in the hospital and feeling sick, The very best thing is to get well quick. The nurses are wonderful and take good care….They can’t stay long, it’s just not fair. To lure them in to check on you, Even more often than they usually do, This bag of NURSE BAIT should do the trick, To get them to see you often and quick. So with extra visits and extra care…Hopefully you’ll soon be outta’ there!”
The bags were delivered this week to the National Life Cancer Treatment Center at Central Vermont Medical Center.
The People Center team even had the opportunity and privilege to give away the first bag to a patient in the waiting room. She was very pleased and happy to receive her gift.