Messages of hand-crafted joy sealed in envelopes are on their way to young patients at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Head Start students at Harris County Department of Education’s Head Start Center at Barrett Station participated in the “Holiday Cheer Cards” project through a collaborative with community partner Triose, Inc. and the Texas Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Triose is a national healthcare solutions company which helps medical institutions. The company’s Houston regional office provided individual art kits for students to create the cards.

Several of the Triose employees mentor children at the Head Start center through a program called SuperMENtors Read, a male, role-model volunteer initiative supported through HCDE Head Start.

“Being a SuperMENtor has been extremely rewarding,” said Antonio Lozano
district manager of field operations for Triose. “I enjoy being a part of something bigger than myself and giving back in a way that is meaningful to me.”

Equipped with markers, crayons and stickers the 3-year olds added personal touches to the holiday cards. Many of their older siblings created their own greetings at home to contribute to the project.

“Parents became inspired and started to bring us Christmas cards made by Head Start siblings who also wanted to be a part of the ‘spirit of giving’,” said Sylvia Davis, HCDE Head Start family services provider at the center.

“We believe that children hold the key to the future,” Davis said. “Research studies show that children who start early in childhood the spirit of giving through community service become responsible adults. This project fits in nicely within our Head Start curriculum that promotes community service.”

Lozano said he usually goes into the center once a month with a book and reads to a classroom of students at the center in Crosby, but the pandemic has put a halt on outside visitors. Sending in the holiday card kits give his mentees a little holiday spirit as they share their artwork with children in the hospital.

“I am fortunate to have the opportunity to give back to my community, and even more so to be able to partner with organizations like Head Start who we’re willing to take on this project with us while teaching the values of giving back and creating a sense of community with the students,” he said.

View the photo album from the event: https://tinyurl.com/y4hzaek5