By Brooks Payette
Staff Writer
What began as a hobby for Tara Travis when she moved to Saco four years ago, has recently touched the lives of children and families at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH) at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Through the company Stampin’ Up and her business “A Stamping Good Time,” Travis has donated her time and talents to children and their families recovering from illnesses and surgery at BBCH in Portland. The Stampin’ Up Demonstrator recently visited the hospital on June 12 in preparation for Father’s Day. During that visit, children and parents made Father’s Day cards with donated materials and help from Travis. It was one of two times she has visited the medical center.
“How great is it that I can put a smile on a child’s face?” asked Travis, who is a special education teacher in the Biddeford School District. “This is something I can do for people and it gives me immediate satisfaction.”
BBCH Child Life Coordinator Sherisse Wormwell said Travis’ activities have become popular at the hospital.
“She (Travis) has done a wonderful job,” said Wormell. “It is really nice to be able to offer things to the children and their families that they might not have the financial means or time to do. It is good motivation to the children to get out of their room and participate in a more normal activity.”
Travis’ first visit to BBCH was on May 5, when one adult and 12 children took part in scrapbooking and card making. She said many of the children made signs for their doors, smiling and proudly displaying their completed work.
“It was such a wonderful thing to see,” said Travis. “I think it has been a great way for me to get involved. It has also given me a better appreciation for my family.”
According to the hospital’s Web site, BBCH at Maine Medical Center provides and sponsors comprehensive, family-centered health care for the children of Maine and northern New England. The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital’s key activities include collaborative delivery of integrated health care services to children, promotion of children’s health, education of caregivers in the principles and practices of healthcare for children, advancement of the knowledge and care of children through clinical research and treatment of complex medical and surgical diseases in a tertiary care facility.
With such a positive turnout, Travis plans to visit the hospital monthly and has even looked at expanding her classes to York Hospital. She said that although she loves volunteering, she doesn’t want to be intrusive on the hospitals by expanding in any way unless asked.
“My goal is to bring some joy to people and get out of the way,” she said. “If it grows to a bigger level, there are people more than willing to help.”
Wormell said she plans to continue to work with Travis and was very appreciative of Travis’ volunteer effort. She said it has been so successful that even teenage boys have taken part in the activity, an age group Wormell said is tough to entice.
“I think what she is doing is incredible,” said Wormell. “It is great she has reached out to people in the community and she has done it without reservation.”
Travis said the first time she went to BBCH, there was a little girl who was in such “rough shape” following surgery she barely had the strength to participate. She said she went back to the hospital a month later for an appointment with her daughter and saw the child, who was doing much better. Travis said she spoke with the mother and the two were nearly in tears because of the progress the child had made and the time they shared together scrapbooking.
Another woman, whose 3-month-old child needed heart surgery, used the scrapbooking as a way to escape some of her worries
 “She sat down and made two pages for the baby’s scrapbook and was so happy to have a distraction,” said Travis. Upon speaking with staff members, the same mother used leftover materials from that day to continue to scrapbook, she said.
Travis said she originally joined Stampin’ Up to save money on supplies as she felt she could meet the small amount of quarterly sales quota they required. Once introducing it to other people, she said many became interested in purchasing the supplies and being part of the company. She currently has 14 people working for her through Stampin’ Up.
With such interest, Travis said she wanted to find a way to bring joy to other people. During a Business Network International meeting, she heard of a Stampin’ Up Demonstrator volunteering time at a hospital in Boston, where Travis is originally from.
Travis then got in contact with a staff member at BBCH and began to arrange the event. After speaking to a representative at Stampin’ Up, Travis said $700 in items were donated to her for the purpose of running the event at the hospital.
“They (hospital staff) were amazed at how much material was being donated to the hospital,” Travis said.
With two children of her own and two step children, Travis said she has learned to appreciate life and the health of her children more as she has seen first hand what some families go through.
“They say that if you sat in a room with a bunch of people and everyone threw their problems on the table that you would take your own back,” she said. “Well, it’s true. It makes you grateful for the small problems you have.”
Travis joked that she once had to stay in from recess because her artwork in school was so bad. She then began scrapbooking and became impressed with her own work and creativity. She said the supplies allow for her to create things in a structured fashion that come out “looking good.”
“When you get a chance to tap into your own creativity, it is a great thing,” she said. “I love seeing the kids have fun and being creative.”