When I started with Cheeriodicals in January of 2022, I was thrilled about the idea of getting to travel around the country and not only work with major corporations, but also give back to hospitalized children and others in need. Who wouldn’t love that for a job?
At the time, I fully anticipated how impactful the Cheeriodicals deliveries would be for the hospitalized children that receive our cheer up boxes, as they are usually packed full of toys and activities to help brighten their stay. What I hadn’t anticipated, however, were how many other people would be impacted by the deliveries too. From the corporate team building participants that pack the boxes, to the parents and siblings of the hospitalized children, and even the hospital’s Child Life staff that helps hand the boxes out, the rooms are always full of smiles and pure joy when a Cheeriodicals box is around. Before these green boxes of cheer even leave the team building event room, I can see the impact. As participants are unboxing their supplies and I walk by, they converse among themselves about how special this Cheeriodicals activity is. On a handful of occasions, team members have come up to me with tears in their eyes telling me about an experience they had when their own child was in the hospital. They explain how they can relate to the parents going through the difficult time and know how impactful the boxes will be. Even as the participants are leaving the room, they come up to me and the other event managers and talk about how much they enjoyed the corporate social responsibility (CSR) experience.
When I walk into a pediatric hospital room and watch a child open up their Cheeriodicals box, their face lights up with the biggest smile. The child starts exploring all of the new games, toys, and activity books one by one with an abundance of excitement. They are able to feel like a kid again. 
Then I look over to the parents in the room and they are smiling just as big as their child. They seem to have a weight lifted off their shoulders when they see their child so happy. The parents are always so grateful and surprised by the generous donation from the corporation. In many cases, even the siblings in the room are impacted because they can now play with their sibling just as they would back at home. They all get to feel a sense of normalcy.
Something that really took me by surprise when I started making the Cheeriodicals deliveries is the excitement of the hospital staff when we bring the boxes into the rooms. We have delivered to hundreds of children’s hospitals in the US, and the staff is very familiar with our bright green boxes. When the Child Life Department sees they are receiving more kits, they line up to stack their carts full for their patients. These boxes are a great way for the Child Life staff to ease a difficult situation, welcome a child into the room, bring excitement to a long hospital stay, and much more. The Child Life staff cares for their patients greatly and want them to be as comfortable as possible in the hospital. When they are able to give the child a bright, green Cheeriodicals box, they too smile just as big as the patient – even under their masks.
A year and a half later, I can confidently say there are endless smiles that are shared with a Cheeriodicals kit. The family, the hospital staff, everybody surrounding the child, and I are all happy to see the excitement the child has when they receive a Cheeriodical. The cheer up kit is able to bring so much joy to all who are around – it gives an infinite amount of smiles.
Written by Macey Davis, Cheeriodicals Event Manager