Project Comfort: Maryland
Project Comfort was founded in 2017 by Helena Rodriguez in loving memory for her grandmother, Barbara Dawson. It started with Helena and her husband delivering just 30 bags on Christmas morning, which has doubled in size every year. In 2023, they were able to give gifts to over 2500 nursing residents using volunteers from across the states.
Project Comfort Maryland's mission is to bring human connection, bringing warmth and comfort into nursing homes, and making sure every resident is cared for, valued, and never forgotten. They use donated blankets, handmade cards, and personal visits to remind older adults that they matter.
Jordan Pross, the lead coordinator, connects to the mission relating it to her great-grandmother, "while she did not spend her later years in a nursing home, I cannot imagine if she did and had no one to visit or spend time with her... her memory continues to inspire my work ... honoring her while helping ensure that other residents feel seen, valued, and loved."
Project Comfort takes place during the holiday season each year, blanket and card drives beginning in October through November, where deliveries take place throughout December. This is when they need the most volunteers to help collect donations, prepare gifts, and visit residents.
Project Comfort offers many meaningful opportunities for high school students to get involved:
- Organize blankets
- Make a handwritten holiday card or organize a holiday card drive through their school, sports, team, club, or community group
- Volunteer to help wrap blankets and cards for delivery
- Volunteer to visit local nursing home residents while delivering gifts
Student can volunteer for a one-time event like helping with a blanket drive or stay involved year after year and help organize projects within their own schools or communities.
Volunteers also receive a brief overview of information for Project Comfort that involves:
- Project Comfort's mission
- What to expect during nursing home visits
- Tips for interacting respectfully and compassionately with residents.
Students develop an array of soft and hard skills, including but not limited to:
- Communication
- Interpersonal skills
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Organization
- Confidence
Volunteers also gain experience working with older adults and see firsthand how kindness and human connection can positively impact others.
Students are also encouraged to take on leadership roles by organizing blanket/card drives at their schools, recruiting volunteers, and helping coordinate collections within their communities.
Why volunteer?
"Volunteering with Project Comfort allows students to make a genuine difference in someone's life," Pross writes. She states that an estimated 60% of nursing home residents do not receive a single visitor, experiencing loneliness and isolation. A simple conversation or handmade card can brighten someone's entire holiday season. Students don't just leave with volunteer hours but with a greater appreciation for service, stronger empathy, and the realization that even small acts of kindness can have a lasting impact.
Volunteerism
Lasting Impact
One memorable story that stands out to Pross is when a nursing home resident shared with a volunteer that their visit would be the resident’s only holiday celebration that year. As volunteers gathered to sing holiday songs and spend time chatting, the resident's smile stretched from ear to ear. Later, they shared that they hadn't felt that much joy in a very long time. Moments like these reflect Project Comfort's mission, which isn't just about delivering blankets but delivering companionship and hope.
The Next Generation
"I didn't think anyone remembered us."
Those are the words Pross remembers a nursing home resident saying after a group of student volunteers visited with handmade holiday cards and donated blankets. The resident became emotional after receiving the gifts. The students spent time talking, laughing, and listening to residents' stories, and many of those volunteers shared that those conversations were the most meaningful part of the experience. They came expecting to give back but left realizing they had received something just as valuable.
Did You Know...
1.3M
People live in nursing homes
43%
Of seniors report feeling lonely on a daily basis
50%
Of isolated seniors are at risk for developing dementia
Project Comfort in Action
Project Comfort & Harford Helps FAQ
Harford Helps is a searchable directory of charitable organizations and community service agencies in Harford County Maryland.
Harford Helps makes it easy to find places to donate items no longer needed, discover volunteer opportunities with meaningful causes, and locate programs and services that provide assistance to people in need.
Click the button that says Project Comfort to go to their Harford Helps profile page.
Visit HarfordHelps.com, open the directory, use the search tool to select causes of interest, then click submit to explore local organizations supporting the causes you care about!
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Harford Helps is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to connecting organizations through volunteerism and donations. By partnering with local nonprofits, schools, and community groups, Harford Helps makes it easy for individuals to give back in ways that align with their passions and availability. This platform serves as a centralized hub for discovering not only volunteer opportunities but also donation options and finding help.
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