WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – There’s something about this time of year. The decorations, the lights and even the music are enough to change your mood.
Well, this week’s Getting Results Award winner feels that way too. So, Rene Porter helped start The Greyson Project to spread joy to families who have to spend the holidays in the hospital and away from home.
The nonprofit collects decorations that transform the rooms of pediatric hospitals across the country.
This time of year, Porter dedicates much of her time to the nonprofit.
“It’s running all year long, but this is the time when all the moving parts come together,” Porter explained. “The bags start rolling in. We always kick off on Black Friday.”
We were there as she promoted the charity at the Rotary Club of Winter Garden.
“It’s kind of become a family tradition and I think it’s my favorite part,” Porter said, before the meeting started.
Club members filed in, their arms filled with gift bags full of everything from battery powered lights to small artificial Christmas trees.
“It makes me so happy to see how it’s growing in the community,” Porter said, as she watched a line form at the door.
A holiday display was quickly surrounded by dozens of bags.
The Orlando-based initiative officially started in 2015, but the inspiration started years before. Porter was spending a lot of time at Arnold Palmer Hospital supporting her friends whose infant son Greyson was hospitalized.
“Greyson’s hospital stay was very unexpected,” Porter said. “What started as a totally normal morning ended in an ambulance ride to the hospital.”
The family spent the entire holiday season trying to figure out what was wrong with Greyson. Friends like Porter were there with them every day to show support.
“One day my husband and I walked in and unexpectedly saw the entire room was totally transformed and decorated for Christmas. To say this was unexpected was an understatement,” Porter said, explaining that the decorations changed the mood in an otherwise sterile and cold medical environment.
The decorations came in a care package from family in Colorado. It included everything down to ornament hooks.
“This was Greyson’s first Christmas and last Christmas,” Porter said. “They did not want to rob them of experiencing that together as a family.”
Porter said the experience stayed with her every year as she decorated her own home. A few years later, she was inspired to make a bag filled with decorations and drop it off at the hospital for any family that wanted it.
One bag turned into 71 that first year after friends and family learned that dozens of patients would have to stay in the hospital for Christmas.
“It was just people’s hearts relating to a situation seeing a need and going out and creating a bag,” Porter remembered.
Porter has been collecting gift bags every year since.
Last year, The Greyson Project delivered 2,244 bags of decorations to 37 children’s hospitals in 16 states.
“There’s just so many hands that make this happen,” Porter said. “It’s a group effort. One person could never do all this. It’s a group effort.”
Porter hopes the nonprofit will one day be able to support families in every children’s hospital nationwide.
If you would like to help, below is a list of approved items:
- -Artificial Tree - 4ft tall or under
- Christmas lights - battery operated lights only please - the rooms have limited outlets, don’t forget the batteries!
- Garland (artificial)
- Stockings
- Shatter-proof ornaments and decorations for the tree
- Hooks to hang the ornaments
- Window Clings or Window Markers
- DIY decorations or craft kits
- Tree skirt
- Fun non-skid socks
Please visit their website for more information.
The Greyson Project has drop-off locations across Central Florida and an option to donate online.
“Once I saw the domino effect that happened in the community, I felt called to show up for it every year,” Porter said. “There should not be a child’s room that doesn’t have joy during this time of year.”