Youth group donates items to cancer patients
CARMICHAELS – The youth group at First United Methodist Church in Carmichaels donated 50 totes filled with various gifts to the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in Morgantown, W.Va., to present to patients.
The items included fuzzy socks, candy, a book entitled “Healed of Cancer,” a Bible, playing cards, chapstick, hand sanitizer and a handwritten card from each youth member.
“This was our ‘Make a Difference Project,'” said Natalie Crouse, director of the youth group. “The community outreach was great. We collected donations from church members and bought items ourselves over a one-month period. It is the first time we have done something big like this, and I love that the youth group got to experience a service project to brighten the day of people receiving chemotherapy.
“The feedback from the patients was overwhelming, and I am so proud of these kids.”
The idea originated with Jennifer Dalton, whose husband was a former patient of the cancer center and who worked with Crouse’s husband at the Morgantown Police Department.
“Seeing someone you care about go through this is very hard, and I wanted to find a way to make the treatment day a little easier for the patients,” Crouse said.
Crouse is a daughter of Melonie Gump, who is a clinical scheduler in the Center.