Torrance, CA (January 26, 2021): With 2021 underway and the COVID pandemic continuing to isolate individuals of all ages, students in Bishop Montgomery's Pre-Med and Concordia service clubs have found a way to help bring smiles to the faces of children at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Joining forces, the club memberships have not only committed to sending valentines themselves to children currently residing at the hospital, they are also recruiting BMHS students from every grade to support their efforts for the upcoming holiday. Through daily announcements, social media posts, and one-on-one outreach, club members have garnered help across to Bishop community to send virtual valentine cards to CHLA patients. Due to the pandemic, all cards have to be digitally generated this year, so the hospital's user-friendly platform allows people of all ages to log on and create valentines.
It wasn't too long after the Christmas holiday when Pre-Med Club President Stephanie Wood started looking for a Valentine's Day community service project. "I did some research and found the website CHLA [created] to make the virtual valentines," says Wood. Wanting to make the virtual valentine effort as large as possible, she reached out to Concordia Club for a partnership.
Senior Noah Riddick, Concordia Club's president, was happy to bring his club on board, "We both had similar service interests," explains Riddick, "so it made sense for us to team up." Traditionally, Concordia makes and delivers valentines for the residents at Brookdale, the senior living facility adjacent to BMHS; but this year, he and the rest of the members "decided to extend it to CHLA, too. Hospital patients and senior home residents have not been able to see family as much... [giving] valentine cards is something we can all do to make their days a little better."
Heading toward the February holiday, both clubs are keeping their project goal simple: "To make as many cards as possible," says Riddick. Woods, too, has her eye on that same prize and is working hard, along with her club members, to ensure that "all of the recipients, especially during COVID, have a very special Valentine's Day."
To share your own virtual valentine with the children at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, click here.