Warwick Park Avenue School children craft holiday greeting cards for patients

WARWICK — Commercial greeting cards often take a back seat when the creative hands and minds of children express themselves.
Three years ago Jean Thomasberger, director of PAK Kids (Park Avenue Kids) was teaching the children in her before- and-after-school program at Park Avenue Elementary School how to create their own Christmas and holiday greeting cards when she realized their project could bring much joy to others.
“At first I learned that handmade cards were being sent to injured soldiers, recovering in VA hospitals,” she said, "and so we sent out about 30 of our cards to them.
"But then I spoke to Anita Volpe, now vice president Hospital Administrator at St. Anthony Community Hospital,: Thomasberger added, "and we thought it would also be a good idea to give cards out to patients at the hospital.”
This year, at the suggestion of a parent whose own parents live in North Carolina, the children also crafted a second batch of cards for school children in that area who were displaced this year in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.
Thomasberger said that the children in her program are very creative with their artwork, drawing different designs and pictures celebrating the holiday season.
Some even produced three-dimensional art in the true spirit of creativity and individualism.
And with the help of Thomasberger’s assistants, including Marilyn and Bailey Schmidlin and Mollie Jamison, they again decorated these cards in the hope of livening up patients’ hospital rooms.
Some even wrote personalized messages of well wishes to the patients.
“Thinking of our patients is a wonderful thing,” said Dawn Chester, the nurse manager Medical Surgical Department, “and Jean and her team should be commended for instilling in children at this age this incredible sense of community and giving during this holiday season. Some of these patients do not have family visiting them due to distance and these cards will go a long way in cheering them up.”