Pictured from left to right: Cherry, Christy, Callie, friend, Jessica, Ms. Mahri Swan, Ms. Julie and Maddy. Brock, myself and cute heart-patient on bottom row.
In December before school got out for the break, we helped the Outreach Club at H.I.S. do a service project. Our family has a tradition of going to the Children's Hospital and delivering gifts to children who have just undergone heart surgery. Friends who are still around during the holidays have joined us in the past. We sometimes give something to their caretakers and the workers on the floor as well. We have given things like homemade fleece scarves, fleece baby blankets, stuffed animals and toys purchased at the wholesale market. 
It's important to Brian and I to teach our children the meaning of Christmas and to give outside of our home and in our community. It's a challenge finding service opportunities in our community where we can do something personally. I don't know of any Soup Kitchens or places we can volunteer here in Hangzhou to help others. We knew Amanda de Lange who founded "Star Fish", a foster home for local Chinese babies in Xi'an. She has brought babies here in the past to have heart operations as well as cleft palate operations. In bringing her and her volunteers home-cooked meals and laundered clothes while they were at the Children's Hospital taking care of their babies, I became acquainted with this heart-patient floor.
The Outreach Club was looking for something they could do and heard about this little project we did in the past and contacted me. We did it together and it was so fun! I helped buy the fleece and scissors and we made fleece scarves together at one of their after school meetings. They did a great job! Jessica even spent a little more time on a bunch and braided the fringe and did some really creative and cute things. I bought a great black/white/gray plaid fleece so it was super easy to see where to cut. We made 70 in total and tied them all up with bows. Some were youth size. And with donations from students we bought cute little teddy bears to give to the children. Their ages range from several months old to early teens. But most are very young. There were about 40 children we gave bears to. We all wore Santa hats and Callie, Brock led the way giving them out and wishing them a "Sheng Dan Jie Ri Kuai Le! (Merry Christmas!)" As per tradition for our family, we sang a few Christmas carols before we departed. It's definitely a surprise for these people to see us in the first place. It's a bigger surprise to be given a gift; and an even greater surprise to be serenaded! I will tell you that the Chinese people LOVE to gather around and listen to and watch performances. It's a little treat when you are stuck in a hospital room all day as well.
Please share any ideas or suggestions for service projects in Hangzhou!
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