The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way hospitals traditionally bring about holiday cheer for patients and their families. With the safety and health of patients top of mind, as well as that of donors and the local community, charity events, donation processes and toy drives have gone virtual.
This is the case for the Eli Seth Matthews Leukemia Foundation, Inc.’s 7th Annual Toys for Eli Event. This Christmas, the foundation, founded by Paul Matthews in honor of his late son, has had to pivot to ensure they can support the “Virtual Toy Drive” events benefiting the children of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Shriners Hospitals for Children. These virtual toy drives allow donors, like the Eli Seth Matthews Leukemia Foundation, to donate gifts and much-needed funds to children spending the holiday in hospitals, while ensuring the safety of all involved.
“For the safety of our patients, associates, volunteers, and our donors, we will not be accepting any donations dropped off at the hospital campus. But there are many ways you can still help our children this holiday season.”
Nemours Children’s Health System
Our own formal volunteering program, CBI CARES, is thrilled for the opportunity to take part in this event. If able or interested in participating in any of these toy drives, we have outlined a number of ways you, too, can get involved:
- Drop off an unwrapped toy at any of the drop off locations listed here or make a monetary donation at www.BraveEli.com and type ‘Toys for Eli event’ in the notes section.
- Create a personalized funding page that your family and friends can donate to, which will directly benefit the patients and families at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Child Life Department.
- Purchase items from Nemours/AI duPont’s Child Life Wish directly from Amazon.
- Make an individual online donation to help support the purchase of toys for patients.
About the Eli Seth Matthews Leukemia Foundation
Eli lost his battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2011. Devoted to finding a cure for Leukemia, Eli helped raise funds to assist research scientists and inspired his father, Paul Matthews, to establish the Eli Seth Matthews Leukemia Foundation, Inc. The foundation is dedicated to carrying out Eli’s wishes of finding a cure.
Follow their journey on Facebook – a page created to educate and help raise needed funding for Leukemia research. To learn more about the Eli Seth Matthews Leukemia Foundation, Inc. click here.