The concept of service and care for others is an integral part of the mission of St. John Neumann Regional Academy. In this spirit, the school’s senior project, “Packages with a Purpose,” is being carried out.
The packages that are part of the project contain items for cancer patients at the Hillman Cancer Center at the Susquehanna campus of UPMC. These items include such things as unscented lotions and bath items, lip balm, mouth rinse, brain teaser and puzzle books, insulated water bottles, decaffeinated ginger or peppermint tea, eye masks, fleece blankets, socks with gripper, and note pads with stylus pens.
This project aims to brighten the days of the cancer treatments patients receiving chemotherapy and that they are not alone in their cancer-free journey.
Jenna Gallew is one of these Neumann senior students. Her part in the project included her placing posters around the Williamsport area. The collection of items ran from November 16, 2021, through January 31, 2022. Drop-off locations were at St. John Neumann Regional Academy High School and Pudgies Pizza in Montoursville.
With all the donations collected, Jenna was able to assemble 20 sizable boxes (10 for men, 10 for women) filled with all the items from the posters. If Jenna fell a bit short on some of the items, she bought the difference. The things that she had a surplus of, she also donated to the Cancer Center.
“I’m so excited that I could help brighten the spirits of chemotherapy patients in our community,” Jenna told Webb Weekly. “Thank you to everyone who helped make all of this possible, you are appreciated.”
On March 23rd, Jenna brought the packages to the Cancer Center. Laurie King (patient navigator at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center) and Stephanie Steinbacher (gift officer at the Susquehanna Health Foundation) kindly accepted the patient packages.
“Jenna did a wonderful job seeing this through from the beginning to the end of this project. We’re very proud of her thoughtfulness,” Jenna’s mother, Pamela, said.
On a personal note, I can tell you that my late sister, Kathy was one of the cancer patients that benefited from this project and that she was so pleased and grateful to have received one of the packages.
Jenna will be attending Penn State in the fall, where she will be majoring in Economics.
