GREENSBURG — A local teen has enlisted her sisters to offer some inspiration to patients at Decatur County Memorial Hospital.
Kaylee Smith, along with her sisters, Danielle and Taylor, have already created and delivered 150 “Battle Bags” to DCMH, which are then distributed to patients in need of a way to pass the time.
“Battle Bags are inspiration in a bag,” the Battle Bags social media page states. “Bags filled with goodies to help in any battle while in the hospital.”
Kaylee came up with the idea after filling out her application for the Junior Miss Tree City pageant. She was asked about what she did for her community and, upon further thought, Kaylee didn’t think she did enough, according to her mother, Tracy Smith.
After thinking hard about what she could personally do to help, Kaylee decided to focus her efforts towards the people at the hospital who were there alone.
“They decided to put together bags that will help pass the time and also let them know that someone was thinking of them,” Tracy Smith said.
In October 2018, the girls delivered the first 60 bags.
Kaylee is a seventh-grader at North Decatur Jr.-Sr. High School. Her sister, Taylor, also attends NDHS as a junior. Danielle is a freshman at Marian University. The three young ladies are currently the only ones involved in the program, but they are more than willing to accept assistance from the community to keep the Battle Bags program going.
Tracy Smith proudly explained the Battle Bags and how they are shared at the hospital.
“The bags are broken down into kids, teens, and adults,” Tracy Smith said. “All bags have some types of activity book geared towards their age, and then crayons or colored pencils. Other items that go in could range from lotions, hand sanitizers, chapsticks, decks of cards, small toys, notebooks, sketchbooks, and pencils.”
So far, the Smith girls have gotten creative with their fundraising efforts. They started a “Battle Bags” pages on Facebook where they have asked for and received some donations. They also hosted a garage sale. They are currently asking for donations of items to hold another garage sale this spring. The girls got South Decatur Jr.-Sr. High School to hold a “penny war” and North Decatur Jr.-Sr. High School agreed to host a contest for donations with movie tickets as the prize. Greensburg High School passed around a bucket for donations during a basketball game.
The Smith girls will also be working the concessions stand for a week at the baseball/softball diamonds this May.
For these three young ladies, it is vital for those in the hospital to know they are not alone as they fight their medical battles. Tracy Smith said her daughters just want to make sure people know someone is thinking of them.
“They know that not everyone has family or friends that can take time off of work to sit with them in the hospital,” Tracy Smith said. “So if these bags bring one person a little joy, it is worth it.”
The Smith girls said they wanted the public, and especially their teenage peers, to see that even young people can make a difference. Battle Bags began with a small idea and the genuine desire to help. From that single idea, the lives of at least 150 people have been touched.
“We would like to be able to continue this program for as long as possible and need the support of the community,” Kaylee Smith said. “Please follow us on Facebook at Battle Bags.”
Monetary donations are gratefully accepted, and those wishing to purchase items directly for the Battle Bags are asked to contact the social media page for guidance regarding which items are most needed.
Contact: Amanda Browning 812-663-3111×7004; amanda.browning@greensburgdailynews.com.