Join both Connect and Spiritual Care services for a Friendsgiving baking class! A chef will lead us through baking our favorite holiday pies. You will also take home the ingredients so you can make the pie during the holidays for your friends and family.
Acompáñenos a celebrar Friendsgiving con una clase de pastelería con los grupos de Connect y del Cuidado Espiritual. Un cocinero nos dirigirá en la clase de cocina para cocer nuestras tartas festivas favoritas. También se llevará a casa los ingredientes necesarios para cocinar su propia tarta durante los días festivos para compatir con sus seres queridos.
Connections can change lives as they did for Jayden, a 15-year-old who recently lost his mom to breast cancer. This summer, we hosted our second Teen Retreat, a two-day therapeutic retreat focused on coping and connection for teens impacted by cancer. There, Jayden found a safe space to connect with others who understood his grief.
Struggling with losing his mom and hesitant to attend therapy, Jayden was reserved and quiet the first morning. Jayden blossomed through the retreat’s therapeutic activities and found solace in connections with those sharing his experience. After attending the Teen Retreat, Jayden found the strength to cope with his grief and is now ready for counseling.
Imagine the strength Jayden draws from knowing he’s not alone. This strength comes from connecting with others who have had a mom, dad, grandparent, sibling, or a loved one diagnosed with cancer.
What is Cancer Care’s Teen Retreat?
Cancer Care’s Teen Retreat aims to fill the gap of support for teens with a loved one impacted by cancer. This overnight retreat at YMCA Camp Carter involves sneakily therapeutic activities and lots of outdoor time! This year, our camper tried out new activities like paddle boarding and archery tag!
From splashing in the pool to therapeutic kickball, our camp counselors ensured every activity was infused with bonding time and coping tools. When doing “highs and lows” on the last day, the only low our teens gave was that the retreat was not long enough!
We’re so excited to see our teens again next year!
CampCARE 2024 is in full swing! Each year, we host a week-long summer day camp for children ages 5-12 who have a loved one impacted by cancer. This week, we have already hiked nature trails, caught giant fish, played laser tag, canoed with friends, and so much more.
Day One saw our campers welcome friends with big hugs and excited laughter. Our talented counseling team led fun get-to-know-you games that inspired new friendships and bonds – and helped each child realize they are not the only one impacted by a cancer diagnosis.
Day Two introduced new games like laser tag and brought back old favorites like archery! Each activity allows a child to grow beyond their comfort zone and build self-confidence.
Click on the image above to watch activities from Day 2 of CampCARE!
We are so grateful to the Sportsmen’s Club of Fort Worth for making CampCARE possible. Thank you to our many wonderful volunteers, donors, board of directors, and staff for creating a safe, welcoming, and fun-filled camp!
Join us for our annual fishing event: Reel Connection. We will spend the morning fishing out at YMCA Camp Carter. Breakfast items, coffee, and a catered lunch from Carpenter’s Cafe will be included. Cancer Care Services will provide the fishing poles and all fishing supplies. Please bring your favorite outdoor chairs and/or blankets. It’s going to be a fun morning!
Acompáñenos en nuestro evento anual de pesca: Reel Connection. Pasaremos la mañana pescando en YMCA Camp Carter. Se servirá desayuno, café, y un almuerzo proporcionado por Carpenter’s Cafe. Cancer Care Services proporcionará las cañas de pescar y todo lo que necesita para la pesca. Por favor, traiga sus sillas favoritas al aire libre, y / o mantas.¡Será una mañana divertida!
Para inscribirse, póngase en contacto con Megan Clifton, Director of Client Engagement: Megan@CancerCareServices.org
Interested in volunteering? Find Reel Connection volunteer opportunities on our Volunteer Portal.
Join us for art therapy night! Come hungry and ready to get your creativity on! Our Clinical Director, Brianna Silva, will be leading us through an art therapy activity. Dinner will also be provided.
¡Acompáñanos en nuestra Noche de Conexión para explorar tu talento artístico! Un terapeuta de arte nos acompañará para dirigir una actividad de arteterapia para ti y tus seres queridos. La cena será proporcionada.
“Will you be our Valentine?” 41 cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones said “yes!”
Cancer Care shared the love at our annual Valentine’s Dinner (generously hosted by AHUMC) with intentional couples/family bonding sessions and a freshly prepared gourmet dinner with live piano accompaniment. The night concluded with a dance party featuring a command performance by our very own VP of Programs, Tracey, as the DJ!
Newly engaged couples and long-time partners were present, in addition to singles and friends. Couples answered guided questions to strengthen their relationship while our singles gathered to discuss topics based on conversation hearts!
One of our clients, Therese, was “…bound and determined to make it out tonight. I have not been out of the house since my surgery, but really wanted to come tonight to share this experience with my husband, son, and grandson. I am so glad I came. We made wonderful memories.”
The dinner and dancing were a welcome break from the challenges of cancer, and parents were able to enjoy this rare one-on-one time thanks to free childcare. Everyone experienced moments of joy and connection with their loved ones – reminding them that they don’t have to cope with cancer alone.
Wondering how to support cancer patients and their families all year long?
Valentine’s Day may be over, but you can spread the love all year long. Join our monthly giving club so that cancer patients like Therese can continue to make special memories with her family. Every amount makes a difference, even just $10 a month (the cost of a nice box of chocolates!):
All singles and couples impacted by cancer are invited! Come join us for food, fun, break-out sessions, and dancing. We hope to see you there! *Free childcare is provided.
¡Todos los solteros y parejas están invitados! Acompañenos a la comida, la diversión, las sesiones de trabajo y el baile. ¡Esperamos verte ahí! *Tenemos cuidado de niños gratis disponible.
Join us as we kick off 2024 with a healthy cooking class. A chef will guide us in creating a healthy meal, and we will end the evening by enjoying what we prepare.
Acompáñenos a celebrar el año nuevo 2024 con una clase de cocina saludable. Un chef nos va a dirigir a crear una comida saludable, y terminaremos la tarde disfrutando lo que preparamos.
Join us for our Connect Night as we channel our inner artsy side! An art therapist will be on hand to guide you and your loved ones through a therapeutic art activity. Dinner will be provided.
¡Acompáñanos en nuestra noche de Connect para explorar nuestro talento artístico! Un terapeuta de arte nos acompañará para guiarte a ti y a tus seres queridos en una actividad de arteterapia. La cena será proporcionada.
CampCARE was “out of this world” (this year’s theme)! 75 children, ages 5-12 who have a loved one with cancer, attended Cancer Care’s week-long day camp. We were thrilled to welcome 31 new campers this year!
The campers hiked, canoed, fished, swam, fed horses, tried archery, met Fort Worth firefighters, conquered the ropes course, and, most importantly – shared their cancer experiences with their peers and learned healthy ways to cope, thanks to our therapists on staff. By the end of the week, each child KNEW they were not alone in their cancer journeys.
One of our priorities during CampCARE is to provide creative ways for the children to express their thoughts and feelings. This year, every child decorated a t-shirt in honor or memory of their loved one with cancer. One of the campers honored her dad, who has cancer, by writing, “My dad is a warrior.” So empowering for them both!
Because finances shouldn’t mean that a child has to cope with cancer alone, CampCARE is always FREE to attend.
One mom shared, “I just wanted to say thank you so much for inviting our children to Camp Carter! It was such a blessing to be able to have them attend and there was no way we would have been able to send all 3 of them for a whole week. So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much! They loved every minute of it and made some wonderful memories!”
CampCARE in the News
NBC 5 featured CampCARE in their #SomethingGood segment! Check out the video below or view the segment on the NBCDFW website.
Sharing Gratitude
Lastly, we would like to thank the many people who made CampCARE an out-of-this-world event. We are proud of our Camp Director and counseling team for making every child feel loved and heard! The CampCARE crew leaders did a fantastic job guiding their groups and encouraging bonding. We were blessed with many volunteers that decorated the retreat center, helped the camp run smoothly, and cleaned up. To the Sportsmen’s Club of Fort Worth and our donors – we could not bring help and hope to our campers without you! Thank you!
Empower Children Impacted by Cancer
If you would like to support life-changing programs like CampCARE, please consider joining our monthly giving club. The Hope Collective ensures that those impacted by cancer receive financial, emotional, and practical support all year round.
