Julia Gormley is providing young patients at a local hospital with a reason to smile. Julia, who is a junior at Winter Park High School, is the founder and president of her school’s Operation Smile Student Club. Inspired to perform acts of kindness in her community, Julia and her classmates are creating ‘smile bags’ for children undergoing cleft treatment at Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando.
The ‘smile bags’ will be filled with comforting items for the children undergoing cleft treatment like cards, stuffed animals, and coloring books. They will also include items for the parents like sunscreen and a sun hat to protect their child’s face after surgery, and sippy cup to help with their child’s transition from bottle feeding to a cup.
“I am excited about our involvement not only because of my love for children, but also after hearing about the difficult situation these children and their families are in,” Julia said. “It is super fulfilling to know that such a simple act of kindness can make a huge difference in their recovery.”
Julia’s act of service was inspired by Operation Smile’s Spread the Love campaign, a platform to empower students to perform acts of kindness and philanthropy that will create an impact in both their schools and in their community. Inspired by Operation Smile and its worldwide impact, student volunteers ‘spread the love’ February 10th-14th.
Julia loves giving back to her community and hopes to set an example for other young people by performing acts of kindness.
“I would absolutely encourage others my age to give their time to a cause they are passionate about,” Julia added. “There are so many things that I love about giving back to our community. I love the feeling of being a part of something that works to make the world a better place. That is one of the reasons I love Operation Smile and being involved. It is incredibly fulfilling to know that through our volunteer efforts, we can make a person’s life a little bit happier.”
Operation Smile Student Programs empower youth globally through advocacy, education, leadership, and service. With hundreds of sponsored clubs around the world, Operation Smile has over 18,000 student volunteers helping to build awareness, raise funds, and educate others about the nonprofit’s mission to provide free reconstructive cleft surgery to areas of the world where it’s needed most. Through volunteer opportunities, students are provided with a fulfilling and unique opportunity to gain exposure to different cultures, serve those who are in need, and discover things about themselves they may not have otherwise.
