When a child is first diagnosed the family is scared and confused. We provide a care bag given to the families during their first day in the hospital. It is a way of reaching out to the family to let them know that they are not alone and there is a support system for them now that they are going to face treatment. The bag is designed to be a mix of items for the child as well as a series of informational resources for the parents. The most valuable item in the bag is a book written by parents about the specific cancer the child has been diagnosed with. During the first days of treatment the parents are hit with massive amounts of information. It is hard to keep up or even remember everything that is being said. The care bags informational items and specifically the parent’s resource book is something the families will go back to as a reference over and over again.

In each care bag we look to provide

Diagnosis specific handbook

Candlelighters Newsletters

Teddy Bear

Childs quilt (hand made)

Coloring books, markers, crayons, crossword puzzles

Childhood Cancer awareness packet with support referrals

Childhood Cancer awareness gold ribbon pin

Nancy Keene Childhood cancer family support books

American Cancer Society support books and reading pamphlets

Neck pillow for comfort during treatments

Notebook and pens

Sponsors for Care Bags
The Care bags is our most valuable program for families. We have delivered over 350 bags this year to parent's or families with children diagnosed with cancer. The value is of each bag is $250.00 of which we receive about half of the value in item donations from various sponsors which leaves us working to raise $125.00 in financial donations for each bag.
As you can calculate we need to raise over $43,000 each year to just provide this single service to the families. If you would like to sponsor a Care Bag for $125.00 or have your family, office, neighborhood, school or church sponsor a Care Bag for a family please contact us. Every donation counts.