Midlands Companies Send “Care” to Parents of Hospitalized Children

COLUMBIA, SC – October 11, 2012 – Columbia-area families dealing with the unexpected hospitalization of a child will have one less thing to worry about, thanks to Take Time, Take Care and a group of businesses in the Westpark office park. Over the month of August, the coalition of organizations collected travel-sized personal care items for Take Time, Take Care, an organization and support website that provides Care Kits for parents and caretakers of children admitted in the pediatric intensive care unit and PIICU at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital.

The nonprofit distributes these Care Kits to hospitals around area, and nurses give them out to parents (who have often rushed their children to the hospital without taking time to gather toiletries and other essential personal care items). Take Time, Take Care also organizes housecleaning, meals, rides, and babysitting for families with hospitalized children. 

The Westpark organizations collected hundreds of items like toothpaste, deodorant, razors, and shampoo for the families. Power Engineering, Brown and Caldwell, Diversified Development, South Carolina High School League, the FBI, South Carolina Association of
REALTORS, Research Associates, DuBose Web Group, Columbia Conference Center, and The Evaluation Group all contributed to the drive, which was held at Columbia Conference Center. Christy Sears, the founder of Take Time, Take Care, said,

“Being a mother of a special health care needs baby, I know how hard it is to remember everything when you go into the hospital unexpectedly with a child. You may be drained and worn out, but I believe it is so important to take the time to take care of yourself. I want these Care Kits to be a little sense of comfort during a very difficult time.”

For more information about Care Kits, visit http://taketimetakecare.com/. In October, the companies plan to pick up trash along Fernandina Road as part of Adopt-a-Highway.