The Children’s Inn at NIH
7 West Drive Bethesda, MD 20814-1509

Contact:  Laura King, Senior Director of Volunteers & Community Outreach; Meredith Daley Community Outreach & Volunteer Program Assistant, (301) 451-1332, daleymq@mail.nih.gov

The Children’s Inn at NIH will fully and consistently meet the needs of children and families participating in groundbreaking research at the National Institutes of Health. We will:

*Respond to evolving family support needs for pediatric research and clinical care
*Provide a free family-centered “Place Like Home”
*Reduce the burden of illness through therapeutic, educational and recreational programming

For your mitzvah project you may:

Make Thoughtful Treasure’s for Children’s Mailboxes:
This mailbox program brings many moments of joy and happiness to children and their siblings. Upon arrival at The Inn, each child is given their own mailbox to receive not only mail, but also special gifts. During the child’s stay, a special treasure is placed in the child’s mailbox each day. These items can be many different things–each one lifting spirits, bringing smiles, laughter or a friendly surprise.

Food Drives:
Often our families arrive later in the evening, and do not have food for meals. Or many families are experiencing financial hardships making it difficult to purchase groceries. To assist with these challenges, we equip each kitchen with a “Help Yourself” pantry. These pantries are stocked 365 days a year for families with the food that is collected by community groups of all sizes. This is a great project for children who want to learn about community involvement and volunteerism. For a listing of the types of food collected and more information, please visit our website.