Sarah Maisano, 15, a sophomore at Regina High School and founder of the nonprofit organization Supporting Kids in Pain, displays some of the hand-sewn fabric bags in which she and her family send care items to hospitalized children.Principal: Sarah Maisano’s efforts ‘what Catholic education is all about’
Warren — Sarah Maisano “wanted just to help as many children as possible,” so the sophomore at Regina High School in Warren hatched a plan.
For a 15-year-old, starting a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization might initially sound far-fetched. But Maisano, founder and president of S.K.I.P. Supporting Kids In Pain — an organization providing care bags for hospitalized children — is no ordinary 15-year-old. She’s no stranger to helping out, either, having been doing this sort of thing since at least middle school.
“About five years ago, my mom and I went to senior retirement homes and we started volunteering there,” Sarah said. “My mom started a book club with them and then I would help with bingo.”
But Sarah and her mom, Sharon Maisano, didn’t stop there with helping the local community.
About four years ago, Sarah decided to have a party with all of her friends from school, “and have everyone come and bring a gift, and the gifts would go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”
After hosting a second party the following year, Sarah decided to make it a year-round event.
She and her mother thought up the idea of making care bags of books and small items for hospitalized children, but they needed supplies and funds.
“So I started emailing companies, asking for donations,” she said. “They wanted a 501(c)(3).”
Her cousin helped prepare the paperwork to get the nonprofit status, Sarah Maisano funded the $1,000 fee from her personal savings, and 15 months later, on June 11, 2014, “S.K.I.P. Supporting Kids In Pain” became an official nonprofit charitable organization.
But even before receiving nonprofit status, which now permits them to receive donations, the Maisano family had been sewing fabric bags by hand, filling them with kid-friendly items and sending them to children’s hospitals.
So far, S.K.I.P. has sent bags to hospitals in Michigan, New York, Tennessee and Texas.
Sarah Maisano (second right), a student at Regina High School and founder of Supporting Kids in Pain, a nonprofit helping sick children, stands with her sister Gina, left, mother Sharon and father Russell in front of the Warren school. “I’m very proud of her — plus she gets all her chores done around the house on top of that!” says Russell Maisano. Not pictured are brothers Anthony and Joe.The family originally had several big bolts of fabric containing about 500 yards in their basement at home, and wanted to hand-sew bags to contain and distribute the kid-friendly items, but weren’t sure how to begin. After receiving some sewing guidance from the family chiropractor, who happens to be an avid sewer, the Maisanos “ended up doing 600 bags on the first bolt,” Sharon Maisano said.
“There was actually material left over, so we’ll probably end up with maybe between 1,400 and 1,500 bags,” she added, mentioning their plan to do other projects with the fabric, such as making little backpacks for the children.
“We finished the 600th bag exactly a year after we started cutting (the material),” said Sarah Maisano.
The tote-shaped bags are dyed in soft pastel colors “to make (the patients) happy and cheer up their day,” said Sarah, adding the bags are each filled with a coloring book and crayons, a little prayer book, an angel pin, a card explaining S.K.I.P. and a jump rope — a play on the word “skip.”
“We have a goal to donate to one children’s hospital in every state,” Sarah said. “My mom usually finds a contact person and then we call and ship the bags over.”
S.K.I.P. is currently working with the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation, as well as continuing its annual gift parties to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Another beneficiary was Ronald McDonald House Charities, which S.K.I.P. provided with special Easter-themed bags this spring.
Sarah’s current and former schools are helping out, too. Sarah’s elementary school, St. Lawrence in Utica, held a fundraiser last year, and Regina held a “Jeans Day” fundraiser in February. With Regina students paying a dollar each to don jeans instead of their uniforms for a day, S.K.I.P. raised about $400.
Regina principal Ann Diamond was impressed by her student’s efforts.
“Whether you’re a parent or not, we can all relate to sick kids,” said Diamond, adding that Sarah has been able to maintain good grades, balancing the nonprofit and her schoolwork.
“She’s not even able to drive a car but she’s basically started her own business,” Diamond said. “This is exactly what Catholic education is all about. I think this is what parents put their children in Catholic school for: so that we can live out the faith … it’s actually putting it into action.”
Sarah Maisano’s three older siblings — Anthony, Joe and Gina — have also contributed to the nonprofit’s efforts, whether it’s picking up donated toys, driving completed bags to mail or, with Anthony Maisano’s computer skills, arranging the logo into its present design.
Gina Maisano, who herself is a Regina alumnae, said she is grateful for everyone who has helped her sister’s project.
“It’s good to know that there are good people out there, that people are willing to help when you’re doing something good,” she said, adding that her younger sister has always “had that big, beautiful helping heart.”
Go bowling with S.K.I.P.
Join S.K.I.P. on Oct. 12 from 1-4 p.m. at Fern Hill Golf Club, 17600 Clinton River Road, Clinton Twp., MI, 48038 for a bowling fundraiser. Event is $25/person; children under age 12 will receive a free S.K.I.P. t-shirt. Food is provided. RSVP by Oct. 8 strongly recommended. Contact S.K.I.P. at [email protected] to RSVP or for more information.
