How We Help
Inspiring HOPE and healing by keeping families together, when it matters the most.
Our Programs
Along Comes Hope® has helped hundreds of children and families through financial assistance with travel for treatment, creative emotional support programs, advocacy work for policy changes, awareness and education. These programs and services would not be possible without the generous support of our donors:
Travel & Accommodations
Often families are separated during cancer treatments, because the best medical care may not be available close to home. They don’t always have the financial means to receive treatment at the hospital that will provide the best opportunity for survival for their child. That’s where Along Comes Hope® steps in to help. It’s our goal to help all families remain by their children’s sides during treatment. From airfare and lodging to gas and grocery gift cards, we do all we can to support families and make them as comfortable as possible when having to travel for medical treatments.
Emotional Support
We are grateful to our generous donors who currently provide families with various programs that support children facing cancer, their parents and the siblings to help sustain their spirits during this long journey. With continued funding, we hope to expand these programs and add more services in the future to best support families. Here are a few of the programs we’ve created based upon family needs we have identified:
Circle of Hope
Circle of Hope is a virtual support group inspiring courage, strength, humor and hope while guiding patients, caregivers and families touched by cancer to thrive beyond a diagnosis. Your life is more than this diagnosis. Every member is supported to move through your journey with grace, love, trust, openness and hope. You can be as vulnerable and interactive or anonymous and observant as you’d like. Your level of privacy and interaction us up to you but regardless, you’ll gain comfort, strength, resilience and empowerment of knowing you are supported & applying the new “Super Powers” you learn!
Learn more
Hope The Bear
Kids facing cancer receive their own Hope The Bear. Hope The Bear represents our childhood cancer community as a symbol of bravery, inspiration and hope. Each bear has a recorder to create a custom message within the paw. This message can capture a parent’s soothing voice, helping calm a child and reduce fear.
SUPPORT NOW
Colors of Hope
Every purchase helps to print more copies and raises funds so we can gift them to kids with cancer. This is 80 pages of art, poetry, creation and imagination from 27 different artists sharing their expression of hope. Once you’ve created all 80 pages, it is like a keepsake journal filled with your heart-work!
SUPPORT NOWMission Courage
This special program helps children access their innate strength and hope to manage stress and trauma during hospital stays and painful cancer treatments. Each child receives a custom-made Hope the Bear, with a recordable and personalized message from parents or friends to provide comfort during this trying time. Mission Courage also provides children with interactive art therapy sessions that allows them to express their emotions and find what hope looks like in their minds. Through the session, they will paint a picture of hope, so they can take it with them and hang on their hospital wall as a constant reminder.
Art Therapy
We provide private art therapy sessions for children facing cancer, their parents and siblings. They participate in a series of Art Therapy sessions with a licensed artist and licensed Marriage and Family Therapy clinician working in the field of psychology and clinical treatment. Directive treatment through art is a system of guidance and therapy which helps to alleviate symptoms. The goal is to help you connect your right brain (creative/non-analytical), heart (intuitive knowing) and creativity, to help you find balance and relief.
Cancer Parent Spa Day
The stress as a parent of a child undergoing cancer treatment can be overwhelming. Thanks to our generous donors and sponsors, Along Comes Hope® puts together a spa day for parents of children battling cancer.
Music Heals
In collaboration with the San Luis Obispo Jazz Fest, the Music Heals program teaches children undergoing cancer treatments and their siblings the power of music in reducing stress, pain and anxiety.
Sibling Camps
We realize that the family’s focus needs to be on their child beating cancer. This can often leave siblings to feeling left out or unable to attend activities they normally would because of cost or time restrictions. We sponsor siblings to attend a variety of camps.
Advocacy & Awareness
Our advocacy work focuses on advancing research and policies to improve the diagnosis, treatment, care and survivorship of children and adolescents with cancer, as well as enhancing public awareness and community involvement. As an active planning committee member and sponsor of CureFest D.C. in Washington, DC, a national and annual event, Along Comes Hope® is committed to raising awareness and funds to improve the survivorship of childhood cancer. We also collaborate with college student groups in bringing awareness to the young adult community. We are currently leading a state initiative for a Childhood Cancer Awareness License Plate approved for California.
Get Involved
Donate Now
Help families & children get the care they need while they fight cancer In their lives.
Join Our Newsletter
Keep updated with stories of Hope and how to help children with cancer.