Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Wawa and The Wawa Foundation hosted the third annual Helping Hands Community Care Challenge, bringing together approximately 800 corporate volunteers for a high-energy day of service benefiting CHOP patients and families. Volunteers assembled more than 35,000 activity kits to support a variety of CHOP programs, including the Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department.
Funds raised through the community challenge ($1.6M since the event’s inception!) help expand the hospital's volunteer program, Wawa Volunteer Services at CHOP, with the goal of engaging more community members in CHOP's mission and extend compassionate care beyond the bedside.
Since the event launched in 2024, volunteers have assembled nearly 80,000 kits benefiting a wide range of CHOP programs and patient populations, including:
- 57,100 activity kits for the Department of Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy;
- 10,000 youth-focused kits supporting patients' behavioral and mental health needs;
- 6,855 menstrual care kits for the Homeless Health Initiative;
- 5,000 activity and comfort kits for families receiving care in CHOP's Emergency Departments;
- 750 backpacks filled with school supplies for students in the Hospital School Program.
“It takes a team to heal a child, and volunteers are an essential part of that team,” said Matthew Bennett, Vice President, Hospital Operations at CHOP. “This event is an amazing example of the community coming together to offer hope and bring kindness, comfort, and resources to those who need it most. We thank all participants and extend a special thank you to our presenting sponsor, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation, for giving their time, energy and helping hands to make a difference for patients and their families at CHOP.”
“As a founding partner of CHOP’s Helping Hands initiative, we are thrilled to see the growth in volunteerism and impact of this program,” said Maria Kalogredis, Chief People Officer, Wawa. “As we honor the legacy of Dick Wood, a member of Wawa’s founding family and our former CEO and Chairman who passionately served on CHOP’s Board of Trustees, this year is especially meaningful, and we are thrilled to have more than 50 associate volunteers in attendance continuing the tradition of helping CHOP families in our community.”
To learn more about this event and its impact on the community, visit helpinghands.chop.edu.
Featured in this article
Specialties & Programs
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Wawa and The Wawa Foundation hosted the third annual Helping Hands Community Care Challenge, bringing together approximately 800 corporate volunteers for a high-energy day of service benefiting CHOP patients and families. Volunteers assembled more than 35,000 activity kits to support a variety of CHOP programs, including the Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department.
Funds raised through the community challenge ($1.6M since the event’s inception!) help expand the hospital's volunteer program, Wawa Volunteer Services at CHOP, with the goal of engaging more community members in CHOP's mission and extend compassionate care beyond the bedside.
Since the event launched in 2024, volunteers have assembled nearly 80,000 kits benefiting a wide range of CHOP programs and patient populations, including:
- 57,100 activity kits for the Department of Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy;
- 10,000 youth-focused kits supporting patients' behavioral and mental health needs;
- 6,855 menstrual care kits for the Homeless Health Initiative;
- 5,000 activity and comfort kits for families receiving care in CHOP's Emergency Departments;
- 750 backpacks filled with school supplies for students in the Hospital School Program.
“It takes a team to heal a child, and volunteers are an essential part of that team,” said Matthew Bennett, Vice President, Hospital Operations at CHOP. “This event is an amazing example of the community coming together to offer hope and bring kindness, comfort, and resources to those who need it most. We thank all participants and extend a special thank you to our presenting sponsor, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation, for giving their time, energy and helping hands to make a difference for patients and their families at CHOP.”
“As a founding partner of CHOP’s Helping Hands initiative, we are thrilled to see the growth in volunteerism and impact of this program,” said Maria Kalogredis, Chief People Officer, Wawa. “As we honor the legacy of Dick Wood, a member of Wawa’s founding family and our former CEO and Chairman who passionately served on CHOP’s Board of Trustees, this year is especially meaningful, and we are thrilled to have more than 50 associate volunteers in attendance continuing the tradition of helping CHOP families in our community.”
To learn more about this event and its impact on the community, visit helpinghands.chop.edu.
Contact us
Kaitlyn Dvorin
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation