Welcome to Critical Care Comics

Hospital visits are posted on the private volunteer Facebook group found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/criticalcarecomics/events

Message a page admin if you haven't received your invitation to join.

Mark yourself 'Going' for events you're available to do. 2 agents and 3 - 4 heroes are selected for visits, and the roster of who's attending is posted a week before the visit. Your name will be tagged if you're selected. Your first visit will include shadowing another volunteer, and learning how to prepare wagons for the visit at the CCC warehouse.

Agents are encouraged to wear a CCC shirt and a name badge. New agents who haven't received a name badge should use a 'Trainee' badge found in the warehouse (please return it when done!).

Pants without holes and closed toed shoes are encouraged; length-appropriate shorts are okay. Please use your best judgment with what you would wear to a hospital.

'Heroes' refer to volunteers wearing a costume during a visit. CCC requires new volunteers to shadow at least 2 hospital visits as an 'Agent' before submitting a hero costume.

Exceptions can be made for volunteers with experience and direct referrals from partner groups (eg. Heroes and Fairytales).

Costumes should be consistent with what was approved by CCC.

If your costume requires additional time to put on, please arrive earlier than scheduled to keep our volunteers on schedule with the hospital. You should also ask fellow volunteers for help, if needed, prior to arriving for the visit.

Our volunteers visit 6 local Las Vegas hospitals each month: Cure 4 the Kids, Silver State Pediatrics, St Rose (Children's Miracle Network), Summerlin, Sunrise and UMC.

Learn more about the hospitals we visit - Click Here!

Planning for a hospital visit begins when the roster is added to the Facebook event. A volunteer is selected at random to pick up the toys and comics from the CCC warehouse: 3095 E Patrick Lane, Suite 6, Las Vegas, NV 89120
Back Door Code: 1961

You should contact the volunteer selected to find a time you can meet at the warehouse and learn how the carts are packed and loaded with comics, toys, games and anything else being delivered during the visit.

One, or both, of you will be responsible for bringing everything to the hospital, and making sure everything leftover is returned to the warehouse and put back into inventory.

Some hospitals have a Child Life Specialist (CLS) position who schedules visits from the superheroes for kids admitted. For most places we visit the CLS will be your guide to each room, and will tell our team the name and age of the kid before entering the room.

Each hospital operates a bit different - be sure to respect the guidance of the CLS, or whomever is in charge for the hospital. Remember, our volunteers are guests.

Learn more about each hospital we visit: Click Here.

Please be on time for a visit. Each visit includes a 15 minute window to get ready before we're scheduled to begin. We recommend using FB messenger to create a group chat to coordinate before the event.

Get the wagons organized to make pulling toys and comics easier, and check in with other volunteers if anyone needs help with their costume.

Go to the meeting place for the location you're visiting (see hospital guides for meeting spots), and when everyone is ready contact the CLS or whoever is leading the team.

Throughout the visit be mindful of your surroundings, and fellow volunteers. If you aren't sure about something check with the CLS or other volunteers for guidance.

Volunteers in costume primarily talk with patients, and agents try to be sneaky about listening in and providing support.

Heroes will ask patients or their families about favorite heroes so the agents outside the room know which comics or toys to grab.

A general rule is 1 toy and a stack of 5 - 15 comics for each kid. If the patient has siblings, or other people in the room who are fans, then bring them extra comics too. If there are other kids in the room you can include a small toy as well.

Once the comics/toys are ready the agent sneaks into the room and hands them to a hero to give to the patient.

You can be generous with stacks of comic books. An empty comic box by the end is a successful visit!

Photos Require Consent

Check with the CLS about whether they have photo release forms, or have another way they want our volunteers to check before taking pictures.

If approved to request photos, the agent should check with the parent/adult in the room by asking if they can take a photo for the family, and ask 'is it okay if we take some photos for our charity as well?'

If we do not have the consent of the patient and their family, do not take photos.

It's also great to capture candid photos and video clips throughout the visit. This could include following behind our heroes and wagons through hallways or loading onto elevators, standing by signs in the hospital, or any creative ideas you have that would look good on social media to show what we do.

Immediately following the visit it's good to check in with your team. Talk about how it went, what was good or bad, how everyone is feeling, etc. and also whether anyone needs help with their costume.

A volunteer is responsible for returning the wagons and leftover supplies to the warehouse - usually the same volunteer(s) who brought it all. Empty/leftover comic boxes can be put on the shelf by the back door of the warehouse, and toys/games/etc. should be returned to their home on the shelves.

A folder should be created in the Photos section of the Google Drive with the date and hospital name:

ex.) 2024-01-01 Summerlin Hospital

Upload all photos and video from the visit to this folder. If multiple volunteers took photos then it's helpful to share a link to the Photos folder in the FB messenger group chat.

One agent is responsible for handling the Post-Action Report (AR). Make a copy of this template, and fill in the details of who attended and any notes about the visit. This helps our team re-stock inventory, track attendance points, and respond to any concerns from the visit. Add the AR to the folder you create for the visit.

AR Report Template

Google Drive Photos Folder

Be mindful that our volunteers may see and absorb a lot during a visit. Our team is visiting kids and families fighting through the most difficult moments of their lives.

If you need to step away and take a moment - do it.

If you see another volunteer looking like they need support - check in.

Watch out for yourself and your fellow volunteers. This work is amazing, and we want to support each other while doing it.