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Did your grandparents just give you your third copy of The Avengers for your birthday last week? Are you devastated about what you could possibly do with those two extra copies? Well, don’t fret! We hold the solution.
The DVD drive for the Madison Hospital shall put an end to your distress.
This project, initiated by Bob Jones High School senior, Sarah Haidar and Madison Hospital director of annual giving and volunteers, Kelly Hatley, aims to provide a way to give a source of entertainment to long-term patients.
“We hope to create a media resource library—a room to keep the DVDs in,” Haidar explains. “DVDs are a source of entertainment that can be enjoyed by all patients, no matter the age or for how long their stay at the hospital is.”
Marcelo Martins had open heart surgery in 2006, which forced him to stay in the hospital for around a week.
“When you are in the hospital, you can get pretty stressed with your condition, the food, the incessant noise and other factors you cannot control,” Martins explains.
“Having a good movie to distract your mind is a great idea. The TV does not help much. After all, there are hundreds of channels pumping out all kinds of stuff, and still nothing is ever on.”
The concept of the drive was birthed when Haidar needed to earn her gold award for Girl Scouts. Last year, at the Madison Street Festival, she began talking to Hatley at the Madison Hospital booth, and together they decided to create the project.
“I originally wanted to do a book drive, but DVDs can be sanitized regularly, unlike books,” Haider states. “Plus, the hospital already has DVD players.”
Since the conception of the idea in October 2012, the project has quickly advanced. The Girl Scout council approved the idea in March 2013, and the hospital began collecting the DVDs in June. Now contributors from all around the area are supporting the drive.
James Clemens and Bob Jones High School are both participating along with Morning Side Retirement, Messiah Lutheran Church, Asbury Church, and more.
“Madison Hospital and myself are thankful to anyone in the community who can help,” Haider states.
So far, they have collected well over one hundred DVDs.
Haidar recently spoke to honor societies within Bob Jones to see if she could get the school involved in the drive.
Bob Jones National Honor Society and English Honor Society are both currently supporting the drive by offering hours for members’ contributions. Science National Honor Society will begin offering hours soon, so members should see Mr. Johnston for more information.
Nkechi Nnorom, service project manager for BJHS National Honor Society, admits that she was intrigued by Haidar’s request to involve the club in her project.
“I thought it was a very unique idea for someone to do, let alone a high school student to take on this project,” Nnorom states.
Sierra Knox, National Honor Society and National English Honor Society member, sees the potential behind the DVD drive.
“We’re getting to give back to the community. It’s also a very convenient project, considering we don’t have to spend half of our Saturday volunteering at an event,” Knox includes.
National Honor Society members can bring two DVDs to Mrs. Tarter’s in room S109 for one service hour during the month of October.
National English Honor Society members will receive one service hour for every DVD dropped off in Mrs. Oliver’s room, B105, until the end of December.
All DVDs must be rated PG-13 or below. No R rated movies will be accepted.
So whether you’re a member of any of these societies, or you would just like to give to your community, you can drop off DVDs at Asbury’s youth center or at one of these teachers’ rooms.
Search through your stash of movies at home, go out and buy some films, and give to the Madison Hospital patients today.
