Winter holidays can be lonely for many people, especially those unfortunate enough to be away from their families in hospital.
On Monday 24th December, the Community Outreach Team from JMIC arranged for a group of primary & secondary school students to visit Wexham Park hospital in Slough to visit over 200 elderly patients and staff, distributing sweets, fruit and other refreshments to everyone.
Caring for the elderly, visiting the ill and sharing gifts are basic values instilled in youngsters in Muslim households across the globe, and the hospital visit provided our youngsters a great opportunity to put all of these noble values into practice.
In addition to acknowledging the effort of the porters, paramedics and support staff, the group also visited many wards, asking individual patients about their welfare and lifting their spirits under these difficult circumstances. This was not a celebration of any sort, instead it was a humbling experience, serving as a stark reminder that one day we ourselves may reach old age and become fragile, and we ought to channel our youth and health to become better people and serve humanity.
The response from everyone at the hospital was overwhelming, the youngsters were welcomed & applauded by everyone, and encouraged to continue their great work. The visit provoked many smiles, and indeed a few tears, but as the elders often remind us – ‘this is all part of growing up!’.
May Allah reward all the trip organisers, these things often look simple, but the planning and management of these events involves a lot of sacrifice and effort. A special well done to the youngsters who attended, we recognise your leadership and courage for stepping up to the challenge, we acknowledge this wasn’t easy.
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