TEN KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT HUGS AND HOPE

WHAT IS THE HUGS AND HOPE CLUB?

A nation wide, Internet-based group of almost 3,000 volunteers devoted to providing smiles for kids with serious illnesses, injuries or handicaps

HOW DOES THE GROUP MAKE SICK KIDS SMILE?

We brighten their lives by sending balloon bouquets and birthday party supplies to hospitalized children. We mail thousands of cheery cards each year. We grant wishes and we provide thousands of Christmas gifts through our Elf Project.

WHY WAS THE GROUP STARTED?

When my grandson was badly burned, I experienced first-hand how helpless a loving adult feels when a child is suffering. I could relate to parents who could do nothing but stand by and watch their children battle life-threatening illnesses like cancer. One mother of a child with brain cancer told me she felt like running into the street screaming, "My child has cancer. Won’t somebody do something?" I determined that I might not be able to do a lot, but I could do something, so I started a group to help families in crisis.

HOW DID HUGS AND HOPE GET ITS NAME?

When I see a child in wheelchair or hospital bed, you want to grab them and hug them. When I see the fear and helplessness on the faces of their parents, I want to remind them that others care that there’s hope for the future.

HOW DO YOU HELP THE PARENTS OF THESE KIDS?

We provide each family with a parent pal who stays in close contact providing moral support and encouragement through frequent emails and phone calls. We also try to help parents find resources they need, and we maintain a 24 hour a day chat group where parents may connect with others in similar situations and receive support and encouragement.

DOES HUGS AND HOPE REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Parents tell me it makes a tremendous difference. It’s been proven in scientific studies that laughing, smiling, and having something to look forward to can not only improve your mental outlook and attitude; but it can positively affect your physical health as well. Parents have verified this fact. Children who are lethargic and won’t eat or get out of bed suddenly are eager to get up each day and get dressed. They happily wait for the mail to arrive. Kids often comment about how great it is to know that so many people care about them.

CAN YOU GIVE REAL LIFE EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

A four-year-old boy who was dying of a brain tumor could not walk or talk. Often, throughout the day, he would point toward the window and the mailbox outside as if to ask mom if his mail had come yet. When he saw the mailman, he would clap and smile excitedly.

Another child’s family needed money for medical treatment. Their bank fund received thousands of dollars as a result of their story being posted on the HUGS and HOPE web site.

WHY DO YOU SAY HAPPINESS IS LIKE STICKY PEANUT BUTTER?

When you spread it around, you can’t help but get some on yourself too! Volunteers who seek to provide a little more love and joy for these children report that they overcome depression and experience a heartwarming sense of great satisfaction from giving of themselves.

HOW CAN I HELP?

With very little effort, anyone can make a huge difference right now for sick kids. It takes just a few minutes and can cost less than a dollar; but anyone can lick a stamp and mail a cheery card to make a child’s day.

To become a hug giver and hope builder, all you need is a caring heart. Sending cards or donating money are only two of many ways to give. Folks of any age and ability can share their unique, creative talents. People who enjoy sewing make security blankets and soft pillow cases that kids can take with them to the hospital. Musicians donate tapes. Authors contribute books. Children can draw pictures, and grandmothers can sponsor a child at Christmas.

Our combined efforts can accomplish so much. Together, we can make a difference - one smile at a time.

HOW DID THE BOOK, "HUGS, HOPE, AND PEANUT BUTTER" COME TO BE?

I send a weekly newsletter to parents of sick kids and to our volunteers. In each newsletter, I include a funny story from my own life and apply it to a lesson we can learn about hope or some other positive idea. Parents encouraged me to put these essays into book form so they could keep all of them. That’s just what I did, and I added illustrations drawn by their children.

WHAT SORT OF THINGS DO YOU WRITE ABOUT IN THE BOOK?

I write about my life – my family, funny things that happen to me, like the time I wasn’t home and my husband showed prospective buyers through our house while there were dirty underwear lying on the floor. I also write about bad things that happen to me, like a serious car accident. I write about funny things my grandson does and says, and I write about everyday things like buying a magnifying mirror, growing a garden, or searching for a new purse. But all my stories have a humorous twist.

Send some joy to a sick child!