On Feb. 12, 2026, the Lake Huron room in the Oakland Center was filled with students celebrating Valentine’s Day by giving back to the community.
To celebrate the holiday, the United Nations Children’s Fund of OU (UNICEF) and OU Future Pediatrics of America (OU FPOA) came together to wrap toys provided by Bottomless Toy Chest for children in local hospitals, while also creating Valentine’s Day cards to spread love and joy to hospitalized children.
The Valentine’s-themed event was hosted by UNICEF with the goal of giving back to children who are hospitalized and may be going through a difficult time. It invited OU FPOA to join them in hands-on service activities, creating heartfelt items and connecting with fellow students on campus while spreading kindness and encouragement.
“They’re a non-profit organization that has toys that they provide to children’s hospitals in Michigan,” Ayena Imtiaz, president of UNICEF, said. “It’s a really good initiative that we’ve volunteered for in the past as well. We wrap these presents, send them out to them and then they send them out to the hospitals.”
Imtiaz shared that she had once been a recipient of the organization’s support herself, explaining how even a small and simple gesture can make a meaningful difference for a hospital patient at their lowest point by bringing a bit of light to their day.
“Our organization is based on children and making them happy, and this is going to make them happy,” Imtiaz said.
UNICEF of OU is a chapter of the United Nations agency established in 1946 that provides humanitarian and developmental aid to children and mothers worldwide. The organization focuses on protecting children’s rights, improving health, nutrition, education and providing emergency relief during crises.
At OU, students help support its mission by volunteering with local and nationwide organizations to help fundraise and advocate for children.
“We really do it for the good of our own hearts,” Imtiaz said. “We have a lot of pre-health majors that work with us, so it’s nice to meet them. I’m a mechanical engineering major myself, but I love doing philanthropy work, and I really want to go into being a philanthropist on the side of my own career.”
The collaboration between the two organizations brought together students from diverse majors and interests, united by a shared passion for making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
“A lot of people will just go about their daily jobs and just go in and out,” Lourd Lazar, president of OU FPOA, said. “But we’re teaching them not only to do their jobs, but also to help make a difference by learning to be compassionate and caring.”
Although wrapping presents was the main priority of the event, attendees were also given the option of helping out with creating Valentine’s Day cards that will be sent out to the Royal Oak Beaumont Children’s Hospital.
“I resonated with a lot of the things UNICEF was doing, so I just wanted to be a part of it,” freshman attendee Mya Maktabi said. “Making a card can make someone’s day, even though it might be something simple to us.”
