Interested in starting your own Evan's Box? Here are the steps to follow.
1. First, make sure that there's not already an Evan's Box near you! If there is, you can help keep that one full! Or you can start your own at another local hospital.
2. Reach out to your local hospital. Get in touch with the grief/bereavement counselor in the labor and delivery department. This person deals directly with the families that lose a child, so they are a great person to start with. If anything they can point you in the right direction. Another idea is the Child Life Coordinator. Your contact does not have to have a specific title or job description; it just needs to be someone who is able and willing to be responsible for the box. Make sure you emphasize that you have micro items in your box for babies delivered between 12 and 22 weeks.
If your local hospital is not able or willing to accept an Evan's Box, another place to try is a funeral home near the hospital. Many funeral homes need items to clothe angel babies that they care for.
3. Find a box with a lid to store items. Crochet! You can find patterns to download here. You can also sew or knit some items as well! Fill your box. (The size of the box you choose and how many items you initially fill your box with will determine how frequently you will need to refill it.) Please note: your box needs to contain all three main items -- hats, wraps, and blankets. Of the three, hats are the most essential. Please make sure you provide plenty!
4. When you are ready to take your box to the hospital (or funeral home), request a decal for your box! In order to do so, you'll need to provide the name and address of your hospital, as well as the name and contact information of your contact there. (Please note: we are unable to accept decal requests that do not include the first and last name of your hospital contact, as well as his or her email address or phone number. Incomplete requests, or those that do not follow the guidelines, will not be accepted.) We'll mail you a decal as well as an information and contact card you can take with you to the hospital.
5. Take your box to the hospital! When you take your box, please make sure it has the Evan’s Box decal on it so when you (or others) donate you can say, "This goes in Evan’s Box," and they will know where to put it. (Also good so the box doesn’t get shoved in a corner.) Additionally, don't forget to fill out and take the information and contact card (mailed to you from us when you request a decal) so the hospital knows to call you when the box is running low. This card will also explain what Evan's Box is to the hospital. Finally, take a photo of the drop off! We'd love to feature you on the website and on social media.
6. Confirm delivery with us so we can add your hospital to our list!
7. If you want, ask friends or local groups to help you keep the box full! From time to time, check in with the hospital to see if the box is running low.
8. Don't forget to spread the word! You can recruit friends to help keep your box full, encourage others to start their own boxes, and let people know they can also give monetarily or send something from our Amazon Wish List!
2. Reach out to your local hospital. Get in touch with the grief/bereavement counselor in the labor and delivery department. This person deals directly with the families that lose a child, so they are a great person to start with. If anything they can point you in the right direction. Another idea is the Child Life Coordinator. Your contact does not have to have a specific title or job description; it just needs to be someone who is able and willing to be responsible for the box. Make sure you emphasize that you have micro items in your box for babies delivered between 12 and 22 weeks.
If your local hospital is not able or willing to accept an Evan's Box, another place to try is a funeral home near the hospital. Many funeral homes need items to clothe angel babies that they care for.
3. Find a box with a lid to store items. Crochet! You can find patterns to download here. You can also sew or knit some items as well! Fill your box. (The size of the box you choose and how many items you initially fill your box with will determine how frequently you will need to refill it.) Please note: your box needs to contain all three main items -- hats, wraps, and blankets. Of the three, hats are the most essential. Please make sure you provide plenty!
4. When you are ready to take your box to the hospital (or funeral home), request a decal for your box! In order to do so, you'll need to provide the name and address of your hospital, as well as the name and contact information of your contact there. (Please note: we are unable to accept decal requests that do not include the first and last name of your hospital contact, as well as his or her email address or phone number. Incomplete requests, or those that do not follow the guidelines, will not be accepted.) We'll mail you a decal as well as an information and contact card you can take with you to the hospital.
5. Take your box to the hospital! When you take your box, please make sure it has the Evan’s Box decal on it so when you (or others) donate you can say, "This goes in Evan’s Box," and they will know where to put it. (Also good so the box doesn’t get shoved in a corner.) Additionally, don't forget to fill out and take the information and contact card (mailed to you from us when you request a decal) so the hospital knows to call you when the box is running low. This card will also explain what Evan's Box is to the hospital. Finally, take a photo of the drop off! We'd love to feature you on the website and on social media.
6. Confirm delivery with us so we can add your hospital to our list!
7. If you want, ask friends or local groups to help you keep the box full! From time to time, check in with the hospital to see if the box is running low.
8. Don't forget to spread the word! You can recruit friends to help keep your box full, encourage others to start their own boxes, and let people know they can also give monetarily or send something from our Amazon Wish List!
