The holiday season is almost here! To bring seasonal cheer and remind one another that no one in the rare community fights alone, NORD will be creating and delivering care packages to rare disease patients and caregivers who are spending their holidays in the hospital at NORD Rare Disease Centers of Excellence in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C., and we need your help!
There are a few ways to get involved with this initiative:
- Purchase an item to donate from our Amazon Wishlist! If you are unable to purchase an item and want to help, please share our Amazon Wishlist with your network! If you are ordering an item through our Amazon Wishlist, please order it no later than Tuesday November 28th to ensure it arrives on time.
- Click here for our Connecticut Wishlist
- Click here for our Massachusetts Wishlist
- Click here for our Washington, D.C. Wishlist
- Purchase an item from the list provided below and drop it off between 10am-12pm on Saturday December 2nd at one of our collection locations. You can mail items directly to the addresses provided below if you cannot drop them off on collection day. *All items must be new in their original packaging; used items cannot be accepted.
- NORD Office, 1900 Crown Colony Drive, Suite 310, Quincy, MA 02169
- NORD Office, 7 Kenosia Avenue, Danbury, CT 06810 (deliver to back entrance)
- NORD Office, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 500, Washington D.C. 20036
- Volunteer at our collection locations on Saturday December 2nd to help us package the gift bags for the families! We will be packaging all of the donations from 12pm-3pm, and we will also be making homemade cards of encouragement to include in the packages. If you are interested in volunteering, click here to register. Light refreshments will be provided.
Please remember all donated items must be new and in original packaging. We are collecting items for both rare disease patients and caregivers across all age ranges – children, teens, young adults, and adults. The items on our wishlist include:
- Fuzzy socks
- Craft Kits
- Craft Supplies
- Crayons
- Markers
- Dry Shampoo
- Games
- Puzzles
- Journals
- Coloring Books
- Sticker Books
- Puzzle Books
- Window Clings
- Warm Blankets
- Skin Moisturizer
- Lip Balm
- Scarves
- Books
- Zebra Swag
For a chance to be featured on NORD social media, send a selfie of you with the item you are donating to [email protected] along with a message of encouragement to our community members who will be in the hospital over the holidays!
Thank you so much for your contribution to this initiative. While facing a rare disease diagnosis can feel lonely, no one in our community is ever alone thanks to your support, compassion, and commitment. Together we are strong!
Questions? Reach out to [email protected].
