LENDING HEARTS
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide emotional, social and physical support to those living with cancer, with a special focus on the needs of children and young adults as well as their families and caregivers. Through personal connections and a holistic approach to well-being, we strive to help our Lending Hearts family find strength, resilience and hope through treatment and remission.
About This Cause
Lending Hearts provides, at no charge, unique activities and community outreach to children and young adults (up to 39 years of age) with cancer and their families. Our programming provides monthly activities to give patients a chance to find friendship, comfort and build a positive network with others going through similar experiences. Children and their families participate together alongside other families in activities with a basis on education in the way of arts and culture and health and wellness. By coming together every month, everyone has the opportunity to make new friendships and feel a sense of belonging, even when they may not be able to fully participate in their typical age or school related activities. These activities help to take away feelings of isolation, loneliness, fear and loss. Instead, the focus is enhancing, embracing and enriching their life and looking ahead to the future. During COVID times, our monthly in-person experiences had to temporarily shift to what we call "monthly mystery boxes." These packages contain the contents for that month's virtual art therapy class. These sessions are offered via Zoom and recorded. If a family cannot participate live, then they are welcome to view the class through the Lending Hearts YouTube Channel and participate on demand. The packages also include an extra item/game/project that is engaging for the entire family. In addition to our monthly family activities that allow for social and emotional expression, the first Friday of each month, Lending Hearts provides a full and healthy lunch to all of the families on the 9th floor (oncology floor) at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. These meals allow families to stay by their child’s side and have the comfort of food provided for them. This portion of our programming came to be in January 2014 and was embraced by the families and hospital staff. During COVID, these lunches continue as individual boxed lunches. Community outreach and education is another important piece to our programming efforts. In October 2014, we had our first annual school nurse seminar at Children’s Hospital. The school nurse seminar was approved through the State of Pennsylvania to provide continuous education credits to nurses who attended. The focus was on cancer, school and the important role school districts play in the health of a student with cancer. This event was also a first for the oncology department at Children’s’ Hospital. Lending Hearts hosted this free seminar, and the oncology department of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC presented. This seminar was so well received that Lending Hearts and Children’s Hospital were asked to present at a statewide nurses conference in State College in March 2015. Due to our relationship with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, we have continued this year to offer more credited seminars. A seminar in May focused on the medical staff of area universities. We also hosted a back to school all day seminar for school nurses and administrators in August 2015. Since then, educational seminars have been focused on the needs of the families and have moved into virtual panel discussions as shared below. In 2017, Lending Hearts implemented a comprehensive integrative oncology wellness program in the oncology department at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Due to the success of this program, services have expanded with a focus on the oncology young adult population (up to the age of 39) being treated at adult oncology care hospital systems. The needs of young adult patients are unique to this age group. Wellness care is offered to address those needs and reach to these patients and their families. In 2020, Lending Hearts expanded to offer the young adult integrative oncology wellness program. Like all other services provided by Lending Hearts, this program is free of charge and available to the individual who has or had cancer as well as their entire family or care giving network. Since services are available to everyone, there is not an age limit to who can participate with Lending Hearts. This program launched during COVID and all services continue to be offered virtually through an extensive of offerings and specific weekly and monthly schedule of services. Many of these services are recorded and available through various Cancer Support playlists on the Lending Hearts YouTube Channel.