Big Steps 4Kids is a student-led club at St. Thomas founded by Arantxa Gil. The club aims to support children at risk of developmental delays through donation drives and collaboration with the Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center (CDTC). CDTC was established in 1983 as the follow-up program of the state’s Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Center System; it has grown to be one of the largest children’s agencies in South Florida. CDTC’s vision is “to be a center of excellence that inspires and supports the optimal potential of our community’s children with special health care needs through education, care, and collaboration.”
Since Big Steps 4Kids is partnered with CDTC, many of their service projects are connected with that organization. The members so far have built a lasting impact by organizing multiple campaigns to help children. The campaigns have provided essential items, such as clothing, developmental toys, and birthday kits for hundreds of local families. “Birthday in A Bag” was an example of one of the few projects they worked on to donate surprise kits to needy families. More than collecting donations, the club strongly promotes empathy, inclusion, and service among students.
This club allows students to unite and give back to the community through fun activities, charities, and more. Their current drive, which they have been working on, is their “Back to School Drive,” which started on September 22nd and continues until October 8th. This initiative collects baby care essentials such as diapers, lotion, wipes, shampoo, developmental toys, books, etc. All items are donated in reusable shopping bags and go directly to families served by the CTDC’s Early Steps program.
Each bag represents a small act of kindness that makes a massive difference for children in our community. Early Steps is a program that provides services to infants and toddlers from birth to age 3 with developmental disabilities or delays. Their early intervention team works with families to create goals and priorities for their child and design a care plan. The club meetings usually occur monthly and last 45 minutes to an hour.
The meetings vary depending on what is being worked on for that month. Drives are roughly hosted every other month, and this is when the meetings are to organize the drives, make cards, or put together ideas on what would be a good cause. Those interested in joining the cause should reach out to Arantxa Gil or club moderator, Melody Marandiaga via email.
