Community Service & Donations

Generous donations of new and handmade items never fail to bring comfort and smiles to our patients. If you’re an individual or a member of an organization looking to make a difference in your community, consider making Valley part of your community service commitment. Below are some examples of needed items:   

“Best Medicine” Cart Donations

Scouting troops, students, local organizations and individuals regularly support Valley by donating homemade items to the hospital’s “Best Medicine” cart. Items from the cart, which include cards, bookmarks, crafting items and more, are distributed to patients by our volunteers. 

Knitted or Crocheted Item Donations

Handmade items such as afghans, hats for newborns and cancer patients, and fleece lap robes are gratefully accepted and bring much comfort to patients and their families.

Download our knitting instructions for newborn hats.
View newborn hat sizes.
Download our instructions for no-sew fleece blankets.

The volunteer department also accepts donations of new, acrylic yarn to make comfort items for our patients and their families.

NEW! Yarnbabies Needed for Preemies

We're now accepting handmade donations of Yarnbabies for babies in The Valley Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. These crocheted toys have been shown to comfort babies, help them adjust to their environment, and help them experience better breathing and regular heartbeats. 

The babies can grasp the tentacles of the Yarnbaby, which remind them of their mother’s umbilical cord. As a result, they're less likely to pull out their monitors and tubes.

Yarnbabies must be made to specific guidelines to ensure the safety of our babies in the NICU. Download our knitting instructions for Yarnbabies. 

Other Items for Patients

We welcome donations of new, unused items for our pediatric and senior patients. Books, games, playing cards, crayons and puzzles are just some of the items on their wish lists.

Pediatric Wish List
Senior Patient Wish List