MILAN, Ill. — At Thomas Jefferson School in Milan, Illinois you'll find preschool teacher Amanda Long.
She knows firsthand just how hard it can be to keep kids occupied. Long was inspired after spending time in the emergency room one night watching some restless kids.
“There was a mom sitting across from us that had three little ones and one of the kids was a patient. The little ones were just everywhere because it’s late and I just felt bad for her because she’s trying to occupy them and update her family on the phone and take care of everything on the hospital land," Long said.
She decided to put together goodie bags with a coloring book and crayons for the hospital to give to children waiting in the emergency room.
“The days of sharing anything are pretty much over because of the pandemic. So I’m like 'Let’s create something that the kids can have for themselves, take home with them, and that way it makes it a little easier on the parents when they’re trying to navigate all the things,'" Long said.
Long has put together about 200 goodie bags, earning her the Pay It Forward Award, sponsored by Ascentra Credit Union.
She has gotten financial support and donations from a few coworkers, as well as a few local organizations. The hospital has been so thankful for her help that they keep requesting more goodie bags.
“I get a call about every four or five weeks. ‘Are you still doing this?’ Yeah I am!" said Long.
Long knows as a mom and as a teacher that a little bit of help can go a long way.
“I thought, you know, it saved me when I was a mom when my kids were little. I thought I need to do something," Long said.
If you are interested in helping Amanda Long with supplies or donations, you can request to join her Facebook group here.
Do you know someone who goes above and beyond for his or her community? News 8 and Ascentra Credit Union would like to help you Pay it Forward to them. Click here to nominate someone you know.
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