The project is easy to organize, inexpensive and can benefit children in the hospital in your own community. Groups such as schools, churches, scout troops, service organizations, businesses and civic groups have come together to make Jared Boxes.

There are many ways to organize a Jared Box event. Here are just a few:

• Ask club members to donate money or use club funds to purchase toys. Bulk shop or order online. Reference our Suggested Toy List.
• Ask members to bring supplies. Hand out our Suggested Toy List and ask club members to bring supplies to the event. You can also ask members to sign up to bring specific items.
• Hold a Toy Drive to collect toys for your event.
• Send an empty box and instructions home. Members can make a Jared Box at home and bring a completed box to the next meeting.
• Ask for donations. Local businesses are often very supportive and willing to donate toys and supplies. Use our sample Request for Donation letter to start.

Here are some tips to help your group bring the gift of play to young patients at a hospital near you!

Present the idea to your group to get them excited!
Show one of our videos, hand out brochures, or make a sample box. Or send email to smiles@thejaredbox.org and ask a representative from the Jared Box Project to join your meeting via Zoom to present information about Jared Boxes and to help you get started.

Contact the hospital before you get started.
Reference our Hospital Directory to find a hospital in your neighborhood. Feel free to contact a hospital not in our directory too. Contact that hospital before you get started to gather more information about their specific needs at the time. Give local if you can!

Focus on one or two age groups.
When making Jared Boxes with a group, we suggest you focus on making boxes for one or two of the age groups. It can get overwhelming when purchasing toys if you try to make boxes for all the various age groups.

Organize ahead of time.
Print labels and notecards before the meeting. Sort and organize toys in an assembly line fashion. Have club members go through the line and fill boxes.

Smile!
Be sure to take plenty of photos. Share your story and photos with us.

Deliver your Jared Boxes to your local hospital.
Complete the Jared Box Smiles Delivered form to let us know how many boxes you made and to what hospital you are delivering them.  If you are unable to complete the online form, send an email to smiles@thejaredbox.org.

“Making Jared Boxes allows Rotary members to come together and do something that’s right up our wheelhouse: giving back. That’s what Rotary is all about. It’s service above self. That’s our motto. We’re trying to be philanthropic and trying to help, so this is a great service project. It goes a long way, and we get a lot of parents who reach out to us, thank us and tell us what it meant to their children who are in the hospital. I’m happy that our club was able to make Jared Boxes for the second year in a row and we plan to make boxes in the future. Just to see that it brings a smile to a child who is going through a traumatic situation means everything. I raised four very healthy children, and I’ve been blessed, so for me to be able to give back and give my time and treasure to someone else, it means a lot.”

Tina S, Rotary Club President, Fairmont Rotary Club

“Anytime you can do something to help a child, especially a child battling cancer, it’s a no brainer. The Pirates and Pirates Charities were honored to partner with Cindy to build more than 300 Jared Boxes during the 2022 season. Our front office staff, players and coaches all got behind this great initiative and enjoyed putting their own special touch on each box they made – from stickers, to personal notes, to the toys they selected for each child, each box was as unique as the child it will go to. We hope these boxes bring many smiles to kids and families who really need them. This relationship with Jared Box is one we hope to continue for many years!”

Jacque S, Pittsburgh Pirates
Executive Director, Pirates Charities & Community Engagement