Individual Artist's Participation

Thank you for your interest in the Memory Box Artist Program. We would love to have you join us!

The program's sole purpose is to connect artists and crafters with hospitals in need of Memory Boxes. At no time do the artists send us a box! We simply act as the administrative "go between". The program has two aspects. First, we connect and follow up with hospitals to be sure they have an active bereavement program, and that someone at the hospital will take responsibility for the boxes.

We track the number of boxes going to each hospital each month so no one hospital is overloaded with boxes while others have none. This also prevents several people from sending boxes to the same hospital because each one talked to a different person on the staff - something that has been known to happen!

In addition, most hospitals do not have enough storage facilities so it is important they are given their monthly needs rather than their yearly quota all at one time. We keep detailed records of each hospital in the program and their monthly needs.

The second aspect of the program is to connect artists with the hospitals. Some artists "adopt" a hospital in their area and provide all of its monthly needs; however some artists only create 1 box a month, if that. There are no quotas or requirements. We are happy to have any boxes you have time to create.

Please fill in the "box ready report" in the left sidebar of our website (the form will open in a new window) each time new boxes are ready to be mailed or hand delivered and notify us by filling in the blanks in the form.

Unless you adopted a hospital in your area, it is very probable the next time you send boxes, these will go to a DIFFERENT hospital, so we can insure each hospital gets the boxes it needs.

Some artists get together each month to create boxes. We also have had high school students and Girl Scout groups participate in the program. As long as the boxes are appropriate and meet our guidelines, we are happy to receive them.

Generally, we create paper mache boxes, in three or four sizes. All sizes will work - approx 12 inch - 10 inch 8 ½ inch and 7 inch and about 3 to 8 inches deep. The box can have bears, bunnies, children's toys, children, baby faces, flowers, things that are typical of children's decorations - whatever you think would comfort you if you were a recipient of the box.

Boxes may be painted, decoupaged, stamped, stenciled, etc. You can use transfers, draw on them, or use any style of decoration, you think is appropriate. The only caveat is that we suggest you do not attach 3-dimensional items (lace, buttons, etc.) that may pop off in storage at the hospital or not last as a family heirloom.

Thank you for your interest in the Tole Friends Memory Box Program. We would love to have your group's participation.

If your group prefers to give their boxes to one or more hospitals in your own area, you can adopt one or more hospitals. It will be the responsibility of the chapter/guild to supply all the boxes that the adopted hospitals need.

We would be happy to help you find a hospital in your area to adopt; as we have many hospitals on our list, it is possible we have one in your area. If you find you cannot continue supplying boxes to a hospital you adopt, please contact us to let the person in charge of the program know, so the hospital can be reassigned.

One challenge we have with large groups is that they have only one meeting per year dedicated to the program. As a result, a hospital has to wait until after the meeting to get any boxes, and then they may get more boxes than they can store at one time. For this reason, it may be more practical to contact us with the amount of boxes ready to ship and we will give you addresses of several hospitals in your area. Unfortunately, most hospitals do not have the room to store and protect a large number of boxes at any one time.

We do NOT care about being given "credit" for the boxes. The only reason we exist is to make sure qualified hospitals are connected with individuals and groups that wish to create boxes for them.

We need to make sure the boxes go to bereavement counselors who will take responsibility to give the boxes to the families who have lost a newborn. We track the number of boxes going to each hospital monthly so no one hospital is overloaded with boxes while others have none.

If you have adopted a specific hospital, please report boxes via our online system ( the link will open in a new window) reporting not only the amount of boxes through our site but also those from chapters to adopted hospitals will help with donations which will be 100 % benefit the program and the non-profit assignatio..

If your group has not adopted a hospital and, depending on the amount of boxes you have ready to send, you will be given the name and address of one or more hospitals in need of boxes. You will then mail your boxes to the hospitals for this one time.

The boxes are mailed or hand-delivered directly from you to the hospital. You do not even have to mention the program when you send or hand over the boxes. We only want to make sure your boxes get to someone who is qualified to use them and will see they get to the families that need them.

To participate, please contact us to discuss hospitals in your area and how your group might participate.