A note from Laura, age 17 — Tenafly, NJ

Small comforts, for kids fighting big battles.

Kindness Kits 4 Kids brings handpicked comfort items — soft blankets, fidgets, stuffed animals, and small joys — to children facing cancer and long hospital stays. Because feeling a little less sick starts with feeling loved.

What's inside a Teen Kindness Kit
🧦Cozy socks
🛋️Fluffy blanket
📓Journal & art supplies
🎨Small craft kit
🎁Gift card
💌Encouraging note
Laura at Hackensack Meridian's Joseph M. Sanzari & K. Hovnanian Children's Hospitals
On site

Proud to stand with Hackensack Meridian Children's Health

Ranked among the #1 Children's Hospitals in New Jersey and a partner of the Tackle Kids Cancer program, this is where Kindness Kits 4 Kids delivers comfort directly into the hands of long-term pediatric patients.

$1,500+
in comfort items delivered so far
1
hospital partner, with more on the way
2025
the year one teenager decided to help

Why we started this.

This mission began with someone I never got to meet. I grew up hearing my mom's stories about my brother's fight with cancer, and what it was like for our family through it all. Even though I wasn't there, those stories stayed with me — especially how much fear and loneliness a hospital room can hold, and how the hardest part isn't only the treatment, but the waiting, the isolation, and the quiet anxiety that comes with feeling different from every other kid your age.

I also heard how much something small could change that for him. A soft blanket. Something to hold onto during a scary procedure. A little bit of comfort to keep his mind occupied. Those things didn't cure anything, but they brought a little normalcy, peace, and hope back into days that had very little of either.

So during my junior year at Tenafly High School, I started putting together care kits by hand — buying comfort items, packing them myself, and asking my community to chip in. What began as one page and a donation link grew into something bigger than I expected: over $1,500 in kits delivered to hospitalized kids so far.

Now I want to grow this into a real nonprofit — reaching more hospitals, more states, and more kids who need to feel a little less alone. Thank you for being part of that.

— Laura Knepa, Founder

How a kit reaches a child

Every kit is chosen with one goal: helping a hospitalized child feel comforted, distracted, and a little more like themselves.

Gather

Donations and purchases fund comfort items — blankets, plush toys, fidgets, and small personal touches kids can keep.

Pack

Each kit is hand-assembled with care, thinking through what actually helps during long treatments and scary procedures.

Deliver

Kits go directly to hospital Child Life departments, who distribute them to children and families who need them most.

Proud to partner with Hackensack Meridian Children's Health

Through the Child Life & Creative Arts Therapy department at Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital, Kindness Kits 4 Kids has delivered comfort items directly to long-term pediatric patients — with hopes of partnering with more hospitals across New Jersey and beyond.

NJ
First hospital partner

Ways to help

Kindness Kits 4 Kids is run by volunteers and funded entirely by donations. Every dollar and item goes directly into kits for kids.

Give an item

We're assembling Teen Kindness Kits for ages 13–20. Items always needed:

Cozy socks Journal & art supplies Gel pens or markers Small craft kits Playing cards / small games Face mask / self-care items $10–$15 gift cards Accessories & jewelry Pajamas / clothing Fluffy blankets

Because many patients are immunocompromised, all items must be brand new and unopened, purchased within the last year, and clothing must have original tags.

Follow the journey on Instagram

See kits in progress, hospital deliveries, and how your support is helping kids feel a little more comforted.

@KindnessKits4Kids