Progressive Volunteers Bring Heart, Helping Hands & a Little Sparkle to CHF

Sometimes a volunteer day starts long before anyone walks through our doors.

For Janice Pilkenton, Managing Attorney of the Portland office of the Law Offices of Janice Pilkenton, this one started years ago. Janice had followed the Chelsea Hicks Foundation and our work for years, watching from afar as CHF brought moments of play, pretend and laughter to seriously ill children and their families.

So when the opportunity came to bring her team together for a day of service, she chose CHF.

And she didn’t come alone.

Janice brought 23 of her colleagues, all salaried employees of Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, for a volunteer day that quickly filled our warehouse with helping hands, laughter and, before long, plenty of sparkle.

24 Progressive Volunteers Ready to Make a Difference

Since this was the group’s first time volunteering with CHF, we started by sharing a little about who we are, the children and families we serve, and why the work happening inside our warehouse matters.

Then we turned them loose.

And wow, did they get to work.

In one corner, more than 100 tiny onesies were being sorted and processed, getting them one step closer to our next hospital visit. At another table, the stamping crew took on a mountain of more than 1,500 Costume Ball invitations. Nearby, hospital bags were being assembled while another crew counted and boxed more than 500 stuffed animals.

And somehow, the piles just kept disappearing.

Toys and accessories were packaged and heat sealed, boxes were filled, bags were readied and projects that had seemed enormous just a few hours earlier were suddenly checked off our list.

And then there was the Sparkle Station.

Bring on the Sparkle!

With the CHF Costume Ball & Gala right around the corner, we had plenty of projects waiting for a little extra sparkle.

Dessert Dash cards needed finishing. Wine Wall bags needed decorating. Table numbers needed that little something extra.

This crew jumped right in.

Soon the Sparkle Station was in full swing, adding shimmer and shine to the details that will help transform our Costume Ball into a magical evening for our CHF kids and families.

Apparently, this Progressive crew wasn’t afraid of a little sparkle.

And honestly, that’s when we knew they were officially part of the CHF family.

More Than a Day of Volunteering

As impressive as everything they accomplished was, that isn’t what we’ll remember most about the day.

This crew was just plain fun.

We laughed. We got to know one another. And with the Costume Ball on everyone’s minds, there was plenty of conversation about the upcoming event and, of course, what some of the best outfits might be.

It was a little warm in the warehouse that day, but the heat didn’t slow this group down one bit. They moved from project to project with energy and enthusiasm, working quickly and efficiently, but always with heart.

And one of our favorite things to watch was everyone finding the task that seemed to fit them. Some found their happy place surrounded by stuffed animals. Others settled in with onesies, invitations or hospital bags. And then there were those who happily made their way to the Sparkle Station.

Different tables. Different projects. One shared purpose.

Because everything they touched that day was ultimately headed somewhere important: toward creating another opportunity for a seriously ill child to play, pretend, laugh and simply be a kid.

72 Volunteer Hours That Will Keep Giving

By the end of the day, 24 Progressive volunteers had given CHF an incredible 72 hours of volunteer service.

But those 72 hours tell only part of the story.

They left behind processed onesies ready for hospital visits, hundreds of stuffed animals ready for the next step, toys ready to be delivered, hospital bags ready to be filled and a whole lot of Costume Ball projects much closer to being ready for October.

But more importantly, they left knowing that the work they accomplished in just a few hours will continue making its way from our warehouse into the hands of children and families who need a little joy, imagination and laughter in the middle of some very difficult days.

Thank you, Progressive, for showing up with helping hands, incredible energy and a whole lot of heart.

And a special thank you to Janice. After years of following CHF, you didn’t just walk through our doors—you brought an entire team with you.

We are so glad you did.

We hope this was only the first of many days together.