Cookeville Business Owner Asking For Community Involvement To Create Hospital Care Bags

A Cookeville business owner is asking for the community’s help in efforts to create care bags for unexpected hospital visits.

Cigi England said the idea came after her own family experienced an emergency hospital visit and relied on her to go and get various necessities. She said they are seeking everything from monetary donations to items like extra-long phone chargers, chapstick, bottled water, snacks, and other items.

“Oftentimes people are at the hospital and they don’t have a loved one that can go and get what they need,” England said. “So I thought it would be a really good idea to reach out to our community to see if we could get together and make these care bags that the hospital could deliver to patients.”

England said the community response has been overwhelmingly positive. She said within 24 hours of her first posting about her mission on Facebook, they had raised over $1,200.

“It was a call of action was what I call it, and I asked for $5,” England said. “And so all of these people started pledging $5. One lady, her dad was in the hospital for 21 days and her om stayed there for 21 nights she pledged $5 for each of those nights her mom stayed. Sot he community outreach was a huge success. We got monetary donations, and local businesses have brought in chapstick, notepads, ink pens, water bottles, it’s been amazing.”

England said she is working with CRMC Charitable Foundation Director John Bell and Patient Relations Head Craig North to facilitate the donations. She said if anyone is interested in helping out, you can drop off donations at Cigi’s Boutique at 29 East 1st Street in Cookeville until April 20th.