It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. At Me Fine, we witness the truth of this statement on a daily basis as we work together to support families in their hour of need. When we work together, we can accomplish so much more. The following projects are ideal for individuals or groups who are looking to support a Me Fine program or initiative.
* Please note that due to health concerns and HIPAA regulations, we do not permit volunteers to interact with Me Fine supported children in a hospital setting.
Events for Me Fine Supported Families
Spread a little holiday cheer throughout the year by supporting one of the following Me Fine events:
Christmas in July
For most children, summer is the most anticipated season of the year, promising time away from school, endless outdoor activities, and fun family vacations. For pediatric inpatients stuck in the confines of their hospital beds, however, it can be the most difficult time of the year.
Each July, Me Fine brings a little ray of sunshine to children at Duke Children’s Medical Center, WakeMed Children’s Hospital, and the UNC Children’s Hospital with its Christmas in July Program. Children can play holiday-themed games, have their faces painted, and pick out a special gift to keep. Additionally, we deliver Care Packages to all families currently admitted to the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The highlight of these events is getting to visit with Santa Claus for individual or family photos.
Hope for the Holidays
Make a difference this holiday season with Me Fine Foundation! With your help, we can bring hope to critically ill children and their families at Duke, WakeMed, and UNC Children’s Hospitals
Adopt a Family
Just as Me Fine provides a financial safety net for families in crisis throughout the year, our Hope for the Holidays program serves families who are in the midst of a new diagnosis, relapse, or unexpected hospitalization during the holiday season. The Me Fine Dream Team adopts families who would not otherwise have Christmas gifts due to a child’s treatment for critical illness.
We call our holiday supporters the “Dream Team” because of their willingness to be on call for a family experiencing a sudden medical crisis. Families are referred to Me Fine by hospital staff beginning the week of Thanksgiving, and we accept referrals up to the week before Christmas.
We are happy to report that we are full for Dream Team sign-ups in 2018! Check back with us in the fall 2019 to get involved.
Grab a Tag from an Angel Tree
Angel Tree Partners display a collection of hanging tags throughout the holiday season. Each tag corresponds to a child or parent’s request. These requests range from dolls and cars to art supplies, baby toys, and board games, even gas cards to help offset the costs of travel to and from the hospital. Coworkers and customers alike may choose one or more tags to shop for, and return the unwrapped gift to that location.
All of our 2018 Angel Tree sites have been claimed! Click here to see where you can pick up a tag to support hospitalized children and families,
Sewing Projects
Bead Bags
Beads of Courage is an international program that is fully funded by Me Fine at Duke and UNC children’s hospitals. Beads of Courage provides a visual tool to reward children facing critical or terminal illnesses for their courage and helps them communicate their feelings about their condition. Each hand-blown colored bead represents a different treatment procedure and is awarded to the child upon its completion. Some of these children receive hundreds, or even thousands of treatments throughout their lives and need somewhere special to keep their treasured beads. If you enjoy sewing, we hope that you will consider creating and donating bead bags for Me Fine children. Detailed instructions on how to make these bags may be accessed on the Beads of Courage website.
Welcome Kits
A cancer diagnosis brings with it many challenges: the physical discomfort of treatment, boredom after days or weeks of being confined to a hospital bed, and the struggle to understand the illness itself are just a few examples. Working with hospital staff, Me Fine has developed customized Welcome Kits to serve newly admitted pediatric cancer patients at each stage of development from babies to teens. Each kit contains age-appropriate toys and items for a child, along with resources to help children process their diagnosis.
For questions related to donating a Welcome Kit, please contact Meredith Izlar, Program Director.
Baby/Toddler Kit (0-2 years)
– receiving blanket
– rattle toy
– musical light-up toy
– baby lip and cheek moisturizer
– Aquaphor Baby lotion
Preschool Kit (2-5 years)
– Barbie doll
– Matchbox car set
– bubbles
– Kinetic Sand playset
– Chapstick
– hard candies for nausea
– children’s book about cancer (“The Famous Hat” or “The Great Katie Kate”)
School-age (6-11 years)
– Barbie doll
– Matchbox car set
– Kinetic Sand playset
– light-up stress ball
– fuzzy slipper socks
– Chapstick
– hard candies for nausea
– children’s book about cancer (“My Cancer Days” or “The Great Katie Kate”)
Teen (12+ years)
– spiral-bound journal
– gel pen set
– twistable colored pencils
– adult/teen coloring book
– light-up stress ball
– fuzzy slipper socks
– Chapstick
– hard candies for nausea
– young adult book about cancer (“Riding the Cancer Coaster”)
Host an Event
Host a Fundraising Event
If your organization is interested in hosting a fundraiser in support of Me Fine, we are happy to help! Please contact us for more information.
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It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. At Me Fine, we witness the truth of this statement on a daily basis as we work together to support families in their hour of need. When we work together, we can accomplish so much more. The following projects are ideal for individuals or groups who are looking to support a Me Fine program or initiative.