Cheryl Cunard, RN
At Pennsylvania Hospital, working to improve the health and well-being of our local communities is part of who we are. Some volunteers connect with organizations through friends and coworkers, while others are alerted to a problem by their patients and develop their own programs to meet that need. And then there are some whose outreach is rooted in the desire to transform pain and tragedy into something positive, fulfilling, and full of hope.
In 2015, Cheryl Cunard, RN, a nurse on 4 Preston, a mother-baby unit, and a recipient of a Penn Medicine CAREs grant, suddenly lost her 28-year old daughter, Chelsea. The loss was devastating not just to Chelsea’s loved ones, but to her community; everyone who met her had been swept away by her positive energy, genuine kindness and compassion, and love for and interest in helping everyone.
Cheryl and her daughter Chelsea, who is sporting her favorite accessory: a candy necklace. These necklaces are included in every kit.
“Chelsea always rooted for the underdog, even when she was a kid,” Cunard said. “She was the one to befriend the new kid in school. She would stop and talk to a homeless person and learn their story. She even would bring home hurt animals to try to save them!”
Cunard was determined to preserve and uplift her daughter’s memory not only for herself, but for her granddaughter Carly, then only 4 years old. “When you lose a child, you want to do something, whatever you can to stay out the dark,” she said. “I needed to keep her memory alive for Carly.”
Cunard started by gathering toiletries and other necessities for local homeless shelters, and she also participated in a program that provides meals in LOVE Park. On “Chelsea Day,” Chelsea’s favorite foods – turkey, homemade mashed potatoes, and ice cream sandwiches – were served to over 200 homeless individuals.
The Morris Home's freshly painted, newly named "Chelsea's Closet."
However, Cunard felt that while these opportunities were worthwhile, they just weren’t enough, and she continued to seek out additional outlets that would allow her to spread Chelsea’s love and light.
She came across the Morris Home in West Philadelphia, which provides a safe, recovery-focused environment for transgender and non-binary individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness, or behavioral health issues. Statistics show that members of the transgender community are more likely to be victims of violence, discrimination, or addiction problems, and one in five has experienced homelessness. She knew Chelsea would have felt compelled to reach out to them.
“Sometimes, you’re just in the right place at the right moment,” Cunard said. “I had felt drawn to the Morris Home, so I called and asked if there was anything I could do to help. As soon as I visited, I just knew. I met with the team and with the people staying there and it all felt so right.”
With her daughter Melissa, a director of special education in Camden, other family members, friends, and coworkers, Cunard has organized the continuously expanding “Love, Chelsea” program. They began by collecting clothing for the people utilizing the Morris Home’s services, as they often come in with only the clothes on their backs. Cunard and her devoted volunteers have been able to provide enough gently used clothing to fill the shelter’s entire closet multiple times over.
Both the toiletry kits and period packs always include a "little luxury," a candy necklace, and a bright pink sticker showing Chelsea's love.
She has also used her CAREs grant funding to purchase new bras, underwear, and socks, which are often the most needed, yet least donated, items. Since initiating the clothing drives, the shelter’s staff have painted the closet hot pink with Chelsea’s signature blazoned across a wall, and it has officially been dubbed “Chelsea’s Closet.”
Cunard is also starting to donate gently used books; it’s only a matter of time before “Chelsea’s Library” debuts across the hall!
Cunard also assembles toiletry kits filled with deodorant, Chapstick, wet wipes, toothbrushes, snacks, and shampoo, as well as “period packs” filled with feminine hygiene products – an often-overlooked donation item – to distribute to the homeless population in Kensington. However, while the basics are of course necessary, Cunard and Melissa don’t leave it at that. To give the kits a more personal touch, each is packaged into a purse or makeup bag, and they all come with Chelsea’s favorite accessory: a candy necklace. They also feature “little luxuries” to boost women’s confidence and brighten their days, such as body sprays, makeup, or accessories, and they’re topped with a pink sticker featuring Chelsea’s handwriting.
Cunard also has donated clothing and food to Prevention Point, which provides medical, housing, and other support services to individuals struggling with addiction and poverty.
Cheryl and her granddaughter Carly, now 7 years old, are always hard at work filling purses in honor of Carly's mom, Chelsea.
Always at her side? Carly, now 7 years old.
“She’s there with me when we make the kits and hand them out in Kensington, and she made Valentine’s Day cards for the Morris Home,” Cunard said. “I think it’s really important to have her involved, not only so she experiences different people and so she learns how important it is to help others, but she sees that this is what her mom would be doing.”
“Love, Chelsea” is a shining example of how even a small group of determined, compassionate people can make a monumental impact, and Cunard and her volunteers show no sign of stopping. If you would like to learn more or to donate items or time, contact Cheryl Cunard at Cheryl.Cunard@uphs.upenn.edu, or visit Facebook.com/LoveChelseaLynne.