LINDA CHION KENNEY PHOTO
From left, Danielle Palomo, certified child life specialist; Kiwanian Shawn Knutson and her son, Lukas; and Kiwanian Nate Goldenberg at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South on Dec. 8.

Kiwanis supports pediatrics wish-list at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South

By LINDA CHION KENNEY

The Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, with members from its Riverview satellite, collected toys this year for the children at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South off Big Bend Road.

Three Kiwanis club representatives dropped off the unwrapped gifts last week at the hospital to be carted in by a hospital employee, thanks to the COVID-19 safety protocols in place.

This year, the preferred method of distribution is a direct order of goods via an Amazon Wish List, with online purchases shipped directly to the hospital at 6901 Simmons Loop Road.

Dropping off gifts collected by Brandon and Riverview Kiwanians is Nate Goldenberg of FishHawk.

“We need items for distraction and play and development all year round,” said Danielle Palomo, who, as a certified child life specialist for 13 years, is focused on the psyche of her young patients.

Her job is to “provide medical play, pre-procedural prep, normal play distraction and procedural support,” said Palomo, who has a bachelor’s degree in child development and a master’s degree in health psychology.

“Ultimately, we want to provide effective coping for whatever they’re going through,” Palomo said, noting such efforts as bubble-blowing for distraction and iPad games to hold a child’s attention during procedures.

If play is the work of childhood, as psychologist Jean Piaget noted, then indeed it also is the work of healing, with the help of caring and nurturing professionals who strive to turn a negative experience into a positive one for hospital-bound pediatric patients.

That’s what drove Kiwanian Nate Goldenberg to participate in this year’s holiday gift drive for the pediatric unit at St. Joseph’s, which is part of the BayCare Health System.

Goldenberg’s job was to drop off the trunkful of gifts donated by Kiwanians in an effort of the support that underlies his club involvement.

“The fact that Kiwanis focuses on kids, that’s what sealed the deal for my joining,” said Goldenberg, who was a

LINDA CHION KENNEY PHOTO
Shawna Knutson, with her eight-year-old son, Lukas, participated this year in her Kiwanis club’s wish-list drive for pediatric patients at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South at 6901 Simmons Loop Road in Riverview.

charter member of the Riverview club, which because of the pandemic has had to scale back its operations.

The Riverview club is back to being a satellite of the Brandon club, which during the pandemic hosts hybrid meetings on Zoom and at the Bootleggers Brewing Company at 10256 Causeway Blvd. in the Greater Brandon/Riverview area of Tampa.

Plans are to reinstate the Riverview standalone club when the time is right, Goldenberg said.

Meanwhile, Riverview satellite meetings are scheduled to begin in January at the Spurlino Family YMCA at 9650 Old Big Bend Road, in Riverview. Meetings are set for 7 to 8 p.m. the second Monday of the month, starting Jan. 11.

Goldenberg said plans are to hold Riverview satellite meetings as well on the fourth Monday of the month at a FishHawk location to be determined.

Meanwhile, Brandon club meetings are held every Thursday starting at 8 a.m.

At St. Joseph’s last week, Kiwanian Shawna Knutson, along with her eight-year-old son, Lukas, helped deliver the gifts.

“In high school I was in the Key Club, and at work as an adult, a co-worker asked me to come to a Kiwanis meeting,” Knutson said.

She followed up with a membership application. “Giving back and meeting people, Kiwanis is like an old friend,” Knutson said.

Danielle Palomo is a 13-year certified child life specialist. She works at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview.

Kiwanis youth programs include Terrific Kids, a student-recognition initiative designed to promote character development, self-esteem and perseverance; K-Kids clubs at elementary schools; and the Key Club at high schools. Kiwanis fundraising supports also the Project Smile and Friday pantry program at Gibsonton Elementary School; this program aims to combat childhood hunger.

For more, visit www.BrandonKiwanis.org.

To support the SJHS Child Life Wish List online toy drive at Amazon, visit: https://a.co/6SmjK2h. Wish list items include art activity sets, toy trucks, stickers, scrapbook kits, wooden toys, stamp sets, puzzles, memory games, coloring books, Play-Doh sets, LEGO building kits and more.