CancerCare for Kids Winter 2020
CancerCare for Kids' offers year-round, free support services for children impacted by cancer: those living with cancer, have a loved one with cancer or have experienced the loss of a loved one to cancer. In 2020, CancerCare for Kids offered a variety of holiday programs including the Winter Warmth Program, the Winter Wonderland Gift Program and the Holiday Gift Card Program.
CancerCare for Kids' Winter Warmth Program sent out 105 packages to children and teens affected by cancer who live in the tri-state area. This year, the packages contained: socks, gloves, a fleece blanket, scarves and hats.
One family stated, “The winter warmth package brought much-needed cheer to our home.” Another parent who benefited from the program said, “The children were very excited to receive personalized packages, and it gave them a real sense of caring and warmth!” A special thanks to CancerCare’s Lauren Chatalian and Sarah Paul for handling packaging and shipping.
To continue with the holiday spirit, Flatiron Health and CancerCare partnered to offer the Holiday Gift Program. For the past five years, Flatiron Health has generously hosted CancerCare clients for a Winter Wonderland Holiday Party. This year, instead of an in-person gathering, the program provided holiday gifts to 80 children and teens affected by cancer living in New York. CancerCare sends a big thanks to Flatiron Health for their support.
CancerCare would also like to thank the Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) New York Association for their partnership in the Holiday Gift Card Program. This program provided 72 gift cards to children and teens impacted by cancer.
“This winter when I shared that a gift arrived from CancerCare for my child, I could see the happiness in her face and a feeling that ‘they remembered me’. To feel supported and thought of in this big world for such a small child is very special,” one family shared. Another family who benefitted said, “The holiday is filled with mixed emotions. Knowing that there is someone else thinking about and caring about my daughter during that time made her feel extra love.”
We’d also like to extend our gratitude to Light One Little Candle. Thanks to them, we have been able to provide children attending our Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp and New Jersey client holiday party with empowering books for years. 2020 was no exception! The books that they provide help people living with cancer and the children in their lives bond through reading.
CancerCare understands that families coping with cancer face many financial and emotional challenges. That is why CancerCare aims to find new ways to provide help and hope.
Our psychosocial services are available for parents and caregivers and provided by CancerCare's master's-prepared oncology social workers. They help to educate, support and empower parents and caregivers as they care for themselves and their children.
Learn more about CancerCare’s services for children and teens affected by cancer here.