Order donations online or drop off items at Seguin Radio KWED

(Seguin) — A local nurse is turning compassion into action through a new community project designed to bring comfort to children in crisis.

Seguin resident Cynthia Ponce, RN, BSN, is launching “Safe and Sound Comfort Kits,” a heartfelt initiative benefiting children who arrive at Thriving Hearts Crisis Center after fleeing situations of domestic violence.

The effort is part of her master’s degree in nursing administration capstone project — a program she says she hopes will inspire others to serve.

“The effort is creating these kits called Safe and Sound Comfort Kits. So, they will have things depending on age – they’ll have books, coloring items, some toys, stuffed animals – for the older kids, they’ll have nail polish, board games, journals they can write in, advanced coloring books – things that can keep them distracted off of the things that are going on in their world,” said Ponce.

Ponce says the decision to partner with Thriving Hearts Crisis Center, formerly the Guadalupe Valley Family Violence Shelter, was an easy one. She says the organization provides safety, counseling, and resources for individuals and families escaping abusive homes — a mission that aligns closely with her own values and nursing experience.

“Before I became a nurse, I was a patient sitter at a children’s hospital and I actually worked with kids who were actually going through crisis and just giving them things to do like the little card games that I chose on the list or the journals, you could see a big difference in their emotional state and how they reacted with people after they were able to have some crafty release I would say,” said Ponce.

Ponce says each “Safe and Sound” kit will include items meant to provide comfort – her overall goal in helping children feel seen, safe, and valued during one of the hardest times in their young lives.

“I guess I look back on that now and realize that a lot of these things that I put in these boxes actually do help children either with the journals where they can write what is going on in their head or in their life, the games where they can go play with other kids because a lot of these kids really don’t have the cell phones from my understanding. So, they don’t really have a way to interact with other kids unless they are at school so when they are at this crisis center, I was told that they like the games and they like to paint each other’s nails so this is more of a way for them to bond so they can all help each other in a way,” said Ponce.

Ponce is collecting donations over the next few weeks and hopes to make “Safe and Sound” an annual community effort. Items can be purchased directly through her Amazon Wish List or dropped off at Seguin KWED Radio. The radio station located at 609 East Court Street is open Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Fridays until 2 p.m.

For those wanting to contribute online, donations can be made through the project’s Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/11PIYA1IL7QID.