Programs
Hearing for the first time that your child needs an organ transplant or treatment such as chemotherapy is a life changing moment–not just for the child, but for the whole family. As parents, we naturally set out to get the best possible treatment for our child that we can. It’s only natural.
However, with that action comes additional medical expenses, co-pays, countless doctor appointments, travel and medical expenses and possible temporary relocation away from home to get treat at a hospital that specializes in treat the illness of your child. The physical, emotional and financial strains disrupt the stability of the family as a unit. More saddening is that often, families may realize they do not have the financial resources needed to obtain treatment, possibly life-saving treatment, for their child. That is a decision that far too many families have to make.
At Steven’s Hope for Children, we have developed programs and projects to help families get through these challenging times and provide support to these families, to lift them up, and to do our best keep the family together as a unit. Our programs, “Housing for Hope” , “Fill A Need“, and “We Care” are continuing to be successful in helping the whole family stay together, heal faster and make health choices that might otherwise not be an option.
Housing for Hope
For many families, the best treatment available for their child will require them to travel to another area. Fortunately, there is the Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. Children from all over the world come here for transplant surgery, Proton Radiation Treatment and other specialized treatment. But when the families arrive, where do they stay for the 3 to 6 months that will be required?
Our furnished apartments near Loma Linda University Medical Center offer a private, clean “home away from home” to families of seriously ill children. Each residence has internet, linens, cable TV and laundry room and being just 3 short miles from Loma Linda University Medical Center meets the physicians requirement for proximity. The homes are filled with toys, books and games for all ages. All the basic housing needs are met so the family can focus on helping their child recover.
Apartment #1
Apartment #2
Apartment #3
Fill a Need
Dealing with a child with a serious illness or injury can put a heavy financial strain on any family. Fill A Need assists families with a variety of essential needs such as food, transportation (gas, airfare, taxi vouchers, bus passes), and household expenses (utility bills, rents, school supplies). We can also help get specifically needed items such as a wheelchair or small medical equipment that are requested through social workers for families that have been financially burdened by their child’s illness.
Fill A Need is also how Steven’s Hope works with other non-profit organizations, hospitals and foundations to achieve a mutual goal to benefit ill children and their families. Since our inception, we have worked with families referred to us from Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. We have assisted the Mariposa Foundation with their annual summer picnic for kids with Cancer and families staying at the Ronald McDonald House-Loma Linda. Fill A Need recently expanded its reach to San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland, CA and Kaiser-Permanente in Fontana to assist families who live in the local area, but face financial challenges due to their seriously ill child.
We Care
Through our We Care Program, Steven’s Hope provides emotional support to the families through family visits & meals, phone and e-mail communication, comfort gifts, and special parties and outings with the children. This program is highly dependent upon our volunteers for organizing activities for the families, providing meals, entertainment, visits, prayer, conversation and much more.
Some projects associated with We Care are:
Winter Wonderland Project - we provide gifts to hundreds of ill children and their siblings every holiday season.
Project Love Box – gift boxes of snacks, magazines and activities for the parent and the child during treamtent at the hospital.
Kids Helping Kids – children reaching beyond themselves to be creative and interactive on behalf of the sick children.
