Crayons, markers, stickers, and colorful paper fill a table at Associated Bank in Whitewater. Through Friday, community members are invited to stop by to create cards for hospitalized kids.
The staff at Associated Bank in Whitewater have worked to support Cards for Hospitalized Kids. Shown are (from left) Analexis Martinez Sosa, Rosa Partida Gomez, Dayanelly Soto, Sarah Wambura, and Kelsey Schultz.
WHITEWATER — For the next couple of days, a table in the lobby at Associated Bank in Whitewater will be strewn with crayons, markers, stickers, and colorful construction paper. Laughter from children — and maybe some adults — and the quiet hum of focused creativity will be in the air.
Crayons, markers, stickers, and colorful paper fill a table at Associated Bank in Whitewater. Through Friday, community members are invited to stop by to create cards for hospitalized kids.
Courtesy Associated Bank
It’s not an extended birthday party but rather, a community act of kindness on the part of the bank.
During its corporate-wide Days of Caring initiative, the Whitewater branch of Associated Bank, 219 W. Center St., is inviting community members to stop in and create handmade cards to be donated to Cards for Hospitalized Kids, a national nonprofit that brings encouragement to children in hospitals across all 50 states.
Sarah Wambura, branch manager at Associated Bank in Whitewater, said Days of Caring is a service initiative Associated Bank spearheads each year.
Because the Whitewater branch has a small team, they weren’t able to go out and do community service, so organizing a card-making station inside the bank was the perfect fit.
It brought something new and meaningful to Whitewater in a way that worked. “I think people are kind of rallying behind this,” said Wambura. “This is just something that hasn’t really been done before.”
“It’s a fun, free way to support those in need,” she added. “With these cards going to kids and hospitals, it’s very easy for you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and want to kind of spark joy for kids who are going through a difficult time in their life.”
Participants can drop by during lobby hours and decorate a card at the in-branch station or create cards at home and drop them off at the bank lobby. The event runs through Friday, June 27, with extended hours until 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
The staff at Associated Bank in Whitewater have worked to support Cards for Hospitalized Kids. Shown are (from left) Analexis Martinez Sosa, Rosa Partida Gomez, Dayanelly Soto, Sarah Wambura, and Kelsey Schultz.
Courtesy Associated Bank
Since its founding, Cards for Hospitalized Kids has delivered cards to over half a million young patients. The local-made messages of care, crafted this week at the bank, will be sent directly to Cards for Hospitalized Kids, joining a wider network of volunteers around the country dedicated to bringing delight to children facing medical challenges.
So far, the response has been enthusiastic. “We have about 20, 25 cards made already, and we just started it yesterday,” Wambura said. Wambura said several families have stopped in to make cards with their children, while others learned about the project from the local Whitewater Facebook group and dropped off completed cards.
A few of the finished cards created at Associated Bank in Whitewater, ready to be sent to children through Cards for Hospitalized Kids.
Courtesy Associated Bank
Wambura said she is considering having card-making be a quarterly tradition moving forward, noting that while this summer’s cards are general, Cards for Hospitalized Kids sometimes focuses at certain times of the year on holiday themes like Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas. For now, it’s up to the giver’s summertime imagination what kind of card they want to create for a child in need of some cheer.
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