Courage Card Project
Capital City Civitan has partnered with Zach’s Toy Chest on the Courage Card project. Courage Cards are greeting cards that have a general uplifting message, and Zach’s Toy Chest distributes them year-round to children in North Carolina’s hospitals who are being treated for cancer or other serious illnesses and conditions. The goal of Courage Cards is to send a positive message that someone is thinking of each child.
Background
In May 2020, Holly Schwab, who founded Zach’s Toy Chest over a decade ago, was the guest speaker at a virtual Capital City Civitan Club meeting. She spoke about launching the organization after her baby son (Zach) battled cancer. She had noticed that the pediatric cancer clinic where he received chemotherapy treatments didn’t have anything for the children to do while they were in the hospital. Zach’s Toy Chest brought toys to them to brighten their day and pass the waiting and healing time playing so that they could focus on fun, not cancer or the hospital.
Now Zach is a cancer-free young man and the foundation he inspired continues to grow! Children at Duke and UNC Children’s Hospitals benefit from this work, and Zach’s Toy Chest is expanding to other facilities across the state. The Courage Card project began recently, and details about it are posted at https://zachstoychest.org/courage-cards/, including an online form where you can submit a child’s name who is hospitalized or seriously ill so that Zach’s Toy Chest can send them a Courage Card.
In May 2020, Holly Schwab, who founded Zach’s Toy Chest over a decade ago, was the guest speaker at a virtual Capital City Civitan Club meeting. She spoke about launching the organization after her baby son (Zach) battled cancer. She had noticed that the pediatric cancer clinic where he received chemotherapy treatments didn’t have anything for the children to do while they were in the hospital. Zach’s Toy Chest brought toys to them to brighten their day and pass the waiting and healing time playing so that they could focus on fun, not cancer or the hospital.
Now Zach is a cancer-free young man and the foundation he inspired continues to grow! Children at Duke and UNC Children’s Hospitals benefit from this work, and Zach’s Toy Chest is expanding to other facilities across the state. The Courage Card project began recently, and details about it are posted at https://zachstoychest.org/courage-cards/, including an online form where you can submit a child’s name who is hospitalized or seriously ill so that Zach’s Toy Chest can send them a Courage Card.
Process
This is a simple project that anyone of any age can get involved with by following these steps:
This is a simple project that anyone of any age can get involved with by following these steps:
- Make a card out of paper or start with a blank card.
- Write an uplifting message or positive quote, in English or in Spanish.
There is a list of suggestions to get started, as well as some cautions about what to include and what not to include for children who are battling a serious illness or dealing with cancer treatment. - Decorate the card with the craft supplies you have, such as crayons, markers, pens, stickers, or stamps.
- Sign your first name and mail the card to Zach’s Toy Chest so that it can be distributed to a child.
Progress
Here are some examples of the Courage Cards that have been made by Capital City Civitan members and sent to Zach's Toy Chest, including our Zoom work session in February 2021 when we created over 100 cards in a single day!
Here are some examples of the Courage Cards that have been made by Capital City Civitan members and sent to Zach's Toy Chest, including our Zoom work session in February 2021 when we created over 100 cards in a single day!
