UMMC toy drive goes fully virtual

SOME YEAR ROUND JOY, IS FORCING SOME CHANGES IN THE PANDEMIC ERA.. UMMC IS WELL UNDERWAY WITH THEIR CHILDREN’S OF MISSISSIPPI ANNUAL TOY DRIVE… BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, DONORS WOULD DROP OFF TOYS AT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OR IN DESIGNATED DROP-OFF AREAS. THIS YEAR THEY HAD T SWITCH TO AN ALL VIRTUAL TOY DRIVE…TO HELP FULFIL THE WISH LIST…OF BARBIE DOLLS, TRUCKS, DINOSAURS, ACTIVITY BOOKS, AN FUNCTIONAL ITEMS LIKE SOCKS, SLIPPERS, AND PAJAMAS… <“WE UM CREATED SOME WISH LISTS ONLINE…AND AMAZON AND WALMART. UM, WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET IN FRONT OF THIS, SO THAT OUR NUMBERS REMAIN HIGH…WE HAVE THE TOYS THAT WE NEED.”> THOSE TOYS WILL BE GIVEN TO PATIENTS FOR CHRISTMAS…THE GIFTS THAT COME IN WILL BE SELECTED FOR THE CHILDREN’S AGES AND INTERESTS. JENNIFER HOSPIDOR SAYS THEY WILL LIKELY NEED MORE TOYS THIS HOLIDAY THAN THEY DID IN PREVIOUS YEARS, BECAUSE THEY WON’T BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM IN SHARED SPACES WHERE PATIENTS ENJOYED THEM IN THE PAST.. <“IT’S MORE THAT FOR INFECTION PREVENTION. TOYS THAT WE USED TO SHARE AMONGST THE PATIENTS, AND WIPE DOWN IN BETWEEN KINDA THING. UM, NOW HAVE TO BE GIVEN TO THE PATIENT TO TAKE HOME.” WITH CORONAVIRUS THE REUSE, AND SHARING OF TOYS HAS BEEN COMPLETELY ELIMINATED UMMC SAYS IN ADDITION TO CHRISTMAS, TOYS ARE NEEDED ALL YEAR LONG… THEY ARE GIVEN TO CHILDREN CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS, AS INCENTIVES FOR HEALTHY BEHAVIOR, AND FOR RECOGNITION AFTER A PATIENT COMPLETES TREATMENT. EVEN THOUGH THINGS WIL BE DIFFERENT, UMMC SAYS THE BIG GUY…AKA SANTA CLAU WILL STILL MAKE HIS SPECIAL APPEARANCE ON THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVE… <“HE’S STILL COMING! UM…HE WILL PROBABLY STAND OUTSIDE THE DOORS OF THE ROOMS, AND JUST HAND OFF THE BAGS OF GOODIES. UM, AS OPPOSED TO GOIN’ IN AND VISITING WITH THE FAMILY.” HOSPIDOR TELLS US THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN GETTING DELIVERIES OF BOXES OF TOYS, AND UMMC IS APPRECIATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY COMING THRU ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR… THERE IS STILL TIME FOR YOU TO HELP OUT

UMMC toy drive goes fully virtual

Toys for Children’s Hospital patients to be donated online

Updated: 10:30 PM CST Nov 18, 2020

The pandemic is forcing the University of Mississippi Medical Center to change its toy drive.Before the pandemic, donors would drop off toys at the Children’s Hospital or in designated drop-off areas.This year, they had to switch to an all virtual toy drive to help fulfill the wish list of Barbie Dolls, toy trucks, dinosaurs, activity books as well as functioning items like socks, slippers and pajamas.Those toys will be given to patients for Christmas.Jennifer Hospidor, the director of Community Outreach at UMMC, said they will likely need more toys this holiday than they did in previous years, because they will not be able to keep them in shared spaces where patients enjoyed them in the past. “It’s more that for infection prevention. Toys that we used to share amongst the patients and wipe down in between kind of thing now have to be given to the patient to take home,” Hospidor said. Click here for more information on how you can donate.

JACKSON, Miss. —

The pandemic is forcing the University of Mississippi Medical Center to change its toy drive.

Before the pandemic, donors would drop off toys at the Children’s Hospital or in designated drop-off areas.

This year, they had to switch to an all virtual toy drive to help fulfill the wish list of Barbie Dolls, toy trucks, dinosaurs, activity books as well as functioning items like socks, slippers and pajamas.

Those toys will be given to patients for Christmas.

Jennifer Hospidor, the director of Community Outreach at UMMC, said they will likely need more toys this holiday than they did in previous years, because they will not be able to keep them in shared spaces where patients enjoyed them in the past.

“It’s more that for infection prevention. Toys that we used to share amongst the patients and wipe down in between kind of thing now have to be given to the patient to take home,” Hospidor said.

Click here for more information on how you can donate.