Patients at Mount Sinai Receive Blessed Blankets for the Holiday Season

Paige McCollough-Casciano, CTRS, Recreation Therapist, and Julia Skjerli, Chaplain, with the blessed blankets for patients at Mount Sinai.

For the last several years, Paige McCollough-Casciano, CTRS, Recreation Therapist at Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital, has spearheaded the “Blanket the Campus” initiative, providing fleece blankets to every inpatient in the rehabilitation, adult, and child behavioral health units at the hospital on Christmas morning. This donation-based program is supported by colleagues at Mount Sinai and the Saint Francis Foundation.

Each year, approximately 70-80 blankets are individually wrapped and tagged. Beginning last year, a time of prayer over the blankets was added, in keeping with Trinity Health Of New England’s Mission. Mount Sinai Chaplain Julia Skjerli crafted and presented a prayer before the blankets were distributed on Christmas morning.

“It is so tough for our patients to be here, then to be here on Christmas morning, it’s even tougher,” said Paige. “This initiative is such a win-win. Our patients receive a small token of warmth, caring, and holiday spirit while the colleague presenting the gift receives the blessing of ‘giving’ and a shared moment with that patient. Giving is something our colleagues do so often and so well on our campus!”