For the past 10 years, patients hospitalized over the Thanksgiving holiday have received special well-wishes. That’s because participants in the Cedars-Sinai Teen Volunteer Program work diligently in the weeks leading up to the holiday to make cheerful, handmade Thanksgiving cards for each patient.

The Teen Volunteer Program, part of Volunteer Services, started the annual tradition as a way to help lift spirits for patients who can’t be home with their families on Thanksgiving.

"Being in the hospital on any holiday is hard," says Khyrysta Renteria, volunteer coordinator. "Our volunteers wanted to find a way to let patients know we care about them and are thinking about them during this time."

Using festive arts and crafts supplies, approximately 100 teen volunteers create more than 900 Thanksgiving cards, enough to make sure each patient at Cedars-Sinai gets one.

"It puts a smile on my face knowing that we’re able to make a difference for patients," says Eva Danesh, a second-year volunteer. "We want people to know that we care about them, and we hope they have a good Thanksgiving."

Our thanks to the teen volunteers for making the holiday a little bit brighter for our patients!

To learn more about volunteer opportunities at Cedars-Sinai, visit Volunteer Services.