HOUSTON – At KPRC 2, we're proud to showcase those making a difference in the area we serve. Each week, we will feature a local activist, community leader, charity group, nonprofit or organization shaping our community. 

This week, we take a look at a Houston nonprofit devoted to comforting children and young adults who have been admitted to the hospital for an extended period: Dec My Room.

The organization helps sick kids and their families make the most of a difficult situation. Dec My Room transforms drab hospital rooms into fabulous, fun-filled places stockpiled with a patient’s favorite things. From unicorn pillows to Dunder Mifflin coloring books, anything goes if it brings a kid a dose of joy during a dark time. 

In 2007, Susan Plank and her daughter Kendall surprised a young family friend undergoing a bone marrow transplant at the Texas Children’s Hospital. The mother-daughter team decked out the Lil’ Longhorn fan’s hospital room in all-things burnt orange. Soon, what began as an isolated act of kindness grew into a bona fide nonprofit with a national reach.

In 2018, Dec My Room transformed more than 450 hospital rooms from drab to fab. The Houston-based nonprofit services patients at eight hospitals in Houston and more than 20 additional hospitals across the country.

Because the nonprofit offers its decorating skills free of charge, it relies on continued support from the community.

How to support Dec My Room:

Volunteer

Dec My Room depends on volunteers to decorate hospital rooms across the country. The organization worked with over 100 volunteers in 2018 alone.

If you want to help give a sick kid a sweet surprise during a difficult time, volunteer to decorate a hospital room.

Head here to register as a volunteer.

Do you know a group of kiddos with a giving spirit? Children in service groups or organizations can volunteer to decorate hospital rooms through the nonprofit’s Junior Volunteer Program. Dec My Room has worked with Girl Scout troops, school clubs and fraternities in the past.

Donate

Is your spirit of service at odds with your jam-packed schedule? No worries. Dec My Room depends on a steady supply of donations to provide its clients with the decor of their dreams. 

Head here to donate to Dec My Room.

Do you know a nonprofit, charity group or organization making our city a better place to call home? Tell us about it at click2houston@kprc.com. We're always searching for new Houston heroes to feature in our series.