2-year-old Colston’s mom, Kristen, was overcome with emotion when she walked into the Holiday Pop-Up Store at Children’s Memorial Hermann. Kristen was blown away by the amount and variety of gifts available to choose from, easing the burden for parents like herself who did not plan on spending Christmas in the hospital.
The pop-up store is an annual tradition at Children’s Memorial Hermann, with volunteers working around the clock to keep it fully stocked with toys, clothes, games, books, and even bicycles for children of all ages. Parents can shop for their patient and their other children too, without leaving the hospital – and the gifts are completely free. After choosing their gifts, parents can return quickly to their patient while volunteers take care of the gift-wrapping.
Approximately 600 children, including patients and siblings, are served by the program. The pop-up shop is run entirely by volunteers and operates thanks to thousands of toy and gift donations received by the community.
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