A visit to the emergency room (ER) can be stressful, especially for young children. To help alleviate some of that stress and anxiety, Redlands Community Hospital (RCH) volunteer Suzanne Browning has created fun activity bags for kids who are waiting in the ER.
“I’ve always wanted to do something to help entertain and educate young children,” said Browning. “I have put together arts and crafts kits so children who come to the ER will have something to do.”
Each kit contains activities that include writing a story about themselves, drawing and coloring materials, and even a glue stick so the children can make their own collages. The materials are part of Browning’s “Purple Flamingo Art Project,” a non-profit organization Browning formed with help from her 13-year-old granddaughter, Kaylee to provide educational activities to young children.
As a retired educator, Browning worked for the “First 5” program for preschools in San Bernardino for many years where she used art and music to teach academics. She became a volunteer at RCH almost two-and-half years ago and is still just as excited about her volunteer work today as when she started.
“I love Interacting with families and oftentimes people come into the hospital very anxious because the experience is so unfamiliar and new,” she says. “They need people, like volunteers, who can help answer questions and be a comfort to them. It helps bring their stress levels down and is incredibly rewarding.”
Browning understands the importance of volunteering and feels that donating her time to Redlands Community Hospital is the best fit for her.
“I believe everyone should have a place to go every day and the more we reach out and take care of each other, the better the world becomes,” Browning says. “What brought me to RCH to volunteer is that that there are so many ways to help others and so many opportunities to learn and grow as a hospital volunteer and human being.”
Redlands Community Hospital has a number of volunteer opportunities for individuals aged 15 and up to provide support to patients in many departments. To learn more about volunteer opportunities at Redlands Community Hospital, visit: www.redlandshospital.org or call 909-335-5526.