Copelink Blog

This month, we’re thrilled to highlight CancerCare’s annual Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp and Cecilia, who works as the Healing Hearts Program Coordinator.

For the last seven years, CancerCare for Kids has provided warmth for families throughout the cold tri-state winters. In December, CancerCare’s social work and facilities teams wrapped up the holiday season, putting together packages of winter accessories, including blankets, gloves, hats and scarves, to send to 130 children and teenagers whose families have been affected by cancer.

CancerCare for Kids’ Back-to-School Program, now in its seventh year, continues to provide brand new backpacks full of school supplies to children and teens in pre-K through 12th grade, throughout Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

Earlier this month marked a special weekend for families who have recently lost a loved one to cancer, as they joined together at Memorytown USA, in Mount Pocono, PA, for CancerCare’s annual Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp.

This winter has been a little warmer for those affected by cancer due to the Winter Warmth Program, one of the initiatives provided by CancerCare for Kids. Now in its 6th season, the program sent care packages containing winter accessories, including a donation of socks by BOMBAS, to nearly 200 children and teenagers from 76 families in the tri-state area.

As summer draws to a close, many families and kids start looking ahead to back-to-school season—and our CancerCarefor Kids team does too! 2021 marks the sixth year of our Back-to-School Program, which provides brand-new backpacks full of school supplies to children and teens in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Earlier this month, 11 families met virtually for an all-remote version of our annual Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp. The camp, which is open to families with children and teens who have recently lost a loved one to cancer, is usually held at a rural setting in the Pocono Mountains where visitors can ride horses, roast s’mores and enjoy a change of scenery. Though our families were unable to be physically together this year, our dedicated staff and volunteers planned seven hours of programming over the course of the weekend for parents and children to connect, remember their loved ones and find support.

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.

For the fifth year in a row, the CancerCare for Kids Back-to-School Program provided new backpacks full of school supplies to 150 children and teens in the tristate area. These free back-to-school packages include items such as a backpack, notebooks, folders, pencil cases, markers, crayons and/or colored pencils and additional age-appropriate supplies.

CancerCare’s Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp is an annual highlight for our clients, their families and our staff. As the spring progressed, it became clear that gathering at Memorytown USA in Mount Pocono, PA, would not be possible due to the risk of COVID-19. Undeterred, we kept in touch with our campers over the summer and held a virtual activity earlier this month to help them connect with other families and honor their loved ones.