Comfort bags delivered to dialysis units in Massena, Ogdensburg
Apr. 15—MASSENA — A group that started assembling comfort bags for patients in 2014 made their latest delivery in honor of Kidney Disease Awareness Month in March.
Heather and Bill Sova and members of the Northern New York Gives Back Facebook group donated 63 comfort bags to the dialysis units in Massena and Ogdensburg.
Two employees of APC Paper, a division of Pro Ampac in Norfolk, also contributed to the cause. Chad White, the mill manager, and Justin Harris, the director of purchasing and quality control, donated all of the blankets for the comfort bags and helped the group reach its goal by sponsoring 20 bags.
"Justin Harris has always been a big supporter if even out of his own pocket. He always goes above and beyond to help when and wherever he can. His mother, Brenda, and brother, Billy Harris, also donated bags," said Ms. Sova, an independent Thirty-One consultant who started the group when her mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer.
Since they began the effort, the Northern New York Gives Back group has created comfort bags that have been distributed to cancer, dialysis, ALS and cystic fibrosis patients, military members, children in the hospital and foster care, and the elderly. The bags contain a variety of items such as toiletries, fleece socks, fleece blankets and crossword puzzles.
But, Ms. Sova said, they couldn't do it without support from others, and she thanked the sponsors who made the project a reality.
"Mary Young always gives her time and love and makes hats for all the bags," she said.
Other donations came from Kristan Laramay, Allison Daoust Kormanyos, James and Sandy Conger, Neil and Kathy Karlberg, Sharon and Ronald Cappiello, Vicki Skonieczny, Joseph Granger, Sue Stubbs, Lori Collins Of Hairitage House, Kristy Stubbs, Amy Thompson, John and Vera Hanna, Angela Henry, Christina Irwin, Jackie Butterfield, Nicole Villnave, Mindy St. Hillaire of Home Roots Reality, Stef Lutecia, Katie Stubbs Seidel, Andrew White, Cherry Bertoli and Tina Kowakhuk.
"Stephanie Gebo is always a huge supporter, helping to get donations and filling the bags and helping delivering. Stephanie's father, David 'Huffer' Gebo was on dialysis for years as now is she," Ms. Sova said. "Lisa Young also does this in support of her mother, Marion Young, who was also on dialysis."
The effort is worth it, she said
"We are blessed each time to be able to put smiles on faces of those going through a difficult time. We want them to know they are loved and thought of. You are never alone. What is more beautiful is that strangers donate these bags to others in need. Thank you for making a difference in someone else's life. It's a joint effort. Together we make a difference," Ms. Sova said.
And they're not done yet. They will now be collecting to reach their biggest goal yet, 120 bags for St. Lawrence County Fostering Futures foster care program. Anyone who would like to donate a bag can contact them on their Facebook page, http://wdt.me/rgv24T. The cost is $20 to sponsor a bag, or items they're collecting include blankets, fuzzy socks, small stuffed animals, coloring books, crayons, ChapStick, protein packs (cheese sticks, meat stick, peanut butter crackers), toothbrushes, toothpaste, or any other ideas the contributor has.
