Somis students learn lesson in giving
Games, toys given to hospital-bound children

The Ventura County women educators of Epsilon Phi Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and the students of Mesa Union Elementary School in Somis recently paired up to participate in the Jared Box Project.

"It was amazing," said Camarillo resident Annabelle Baker, the project's lead organizer. "Thanks to the Mesa students, the project grew to 100 boxes that were delivered to children's hospitals."

The Jared Box Project helps offer activities for children kept in the hospital for long periods of time for either cancer treatments or recovery from other lifethreatening conditions.

The Pennsylvania-based program was named after Jared, a 5-year-old boy who died of cancer.

In 2000, Jared's mother and school friends saw a need to provide chronically ill children with toys and started the Jared Box Project, which has expanded nationwide.

As part of the program, students fill clear plastic shoeboxes with games, felt pens, crayons, paper, a stuffed animal and toys for their hospital-bound recipients.