Family Assistance

Candlelighters’ family assistance puts families first, coming alongside the whole family as they face pediatric cancer and journey through the unknown.

Whether you need rent assistance, a meal in the hospital, holiday cheer, or are looking for resources to help navigate these difficult times for your family, we are here for you!

Emergency Financial Assistance

The stress of a diagnosis and treatment plan can be overwhelming. Having to deal with bills on top of that should not have to be a worry.

We want to help provide as much support as possible, and get families back to focusing on what matters most: their loved ones. The goal of Candlelighters’ family assistance is less time worrying about paying bills, and more time spent together as a family.

Families who meet the eligibility requirements below and need help on a recurring bill may receive up to $599.00 per budget year (January–December). The amount requested will be paid directly to the institution or business, with gift cards distributed for gas or grocery needs.

Eligibility Requirements

How to Request Funds

• A hospital social worker or hospital medical staff person must apply on behalf of the family.
• Social workers will make the request by having the family fill out an Emergency Financial Assistance application, signed by a parent.
• Parent(s) must sign Candlelighters’ New Family Form, provided by the social worker.

In-Hospital Family Assistance 

Being in the hospital is tough enough. Candlelighters is there for support every step of the way.

We understand that both inpatient and outpatient stays come with their own challenges. We hope that providing in-hospital programs to our families can alleviate some of the stress that comes with them. From meals and snacks to cuddly friends that make pokes easier, Candlelighters’ family assistance in the hospital provides comfort during a difficult time.

Snack Pantry

The snack pantry at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital offers hearty snacks and small meals to feed hungry tummies any time of the day. It can supplement hospital meals or provide relief for families who cannot afford snacks otherwise.

Located in the Family Kitchen on 10 South, our snack pantry serves nearly 500 families a year.

If your family is in treatment, and you have a specific request for food items in the pantry, please email Ellar. If you’re looking to help Candlelighters keep the pantry full, please see our shopping list on Amazon.

Dinner at Doernbecher and Lunch at Randall Children’s Hospitals

NOTE: These meal programs are currently on hold due to COVID-19 safety measures in place at hospitals.

Sometimes you just need a good snack or a hot meal to help make a tough day a little brighter. Candlelighters wants to make sure that families in the hospital are provided with meals to keep them going through their days.

We also want to make sure more time can be spent by their child’s side, and less time searching for a meal. Purchasing additional meals can be costly, as well, and our aim with both our in-hospital meals and snack pantry is to help ease that burden.

Dinner at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital provides 24 meals annually to upwards of 75 individuals on a busy night, and impacts an average of 15–20 families.

Providing lunch to patients and their families at Randall Children’s Hospital makes a long, hard day a little bit easier. Here we serve 12 lunches annually and make a difference for 10–15 families during their stay.

Bedside Buddies

Each month, Candlelighters delivers nearly 100 lovable, cuddly Bedside Buddies to children at Doernbecher and Randall who have recently been diagnosed with cancer.

These soft, furry stuffed animals are cheerfully waiting on hospital beds to greet any newly admitted child, and there to cling to for reassurance when a child is facing a painful procedure, chemotherapy, scans, and more. Our Bedside Buddies can also be found in the arms of children in outpatient oncology and radiation clinics.

Although they are only a small distraction from the difficult path each child travels with cancer, they still provide comfort and can bring a smile on a tough day.

If you would like to organize a drive for Bedside Buddies, or donate new Bedside Buddies, you can order directly from our Bedside Buddy Wish List or read through our donation guidelines. If you have any questions about donating Bedside Buddies, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Scholarships

About Candlelighters Scholarships

In 1996, Candlelighters For Children With Cancer established the Candlelighters Continuing Education Scholarship Program. We recognize that families can amass overwhelming debt in medical bills after years of treatment, follow-up appointments, and ongoing medical issues caused by treatment. The journey doesn’t stop for families, and Candlelighters’ support doesn’t stop either.

Candlelighters’ family assistance in the form of these scholarships is awarded to high school seniors or current college students who have previously been or are currently diagnosed with cancer to support their pursuit of a higher education.

2022–2023 Scholarship Timeline

• February 1, 2022: Application period opens.
• April 3, 2022: Scholarships due.
• June 3, 2022: Winners announced.
• July/August 2022: Scholarship Awards sent to colleges.

2021–2022 Scholarship Recipients

Congratulations to our three Scholarship Recipients for the 2021–2022 Academic Year: Erin Morrison, Cameron Caldwell, and Anna Seely, all childhood cancer survivors with big dreams. Each recipient’s past experience as a childhood cancer survivor has helped shape their lives, values, and goals in unique ways.

2020–2021 Scholarship Selection Process

Thank you to our volunteer committee members for your thorough review of the applications, and the challenging task of selection: Melissa Rose, Margie Jones, Alisha Steigerwald, and Lauren Conn.

These volunteers have a diversity of backgrounds, including being a parent of a child diagnosed with cancer, a social worker student intern who works with children and teens, and a professional scholarship reviewer.

Candlelighters would like to thank the Hougard and Tilden families for providing the critical funding to support Candlelighters’ 2021–2022 scholarship initiative, in memory of Owen Stolte.

Candy Cane Lane

In addition to Candlelighters’ Emergency Financial Assistance available throughout the year, Candy Cane Lane is a gift sponsorship program for Candlelighters families in need of financial assistance during the holiday season.

Candlelighters matches eligible families to a sponsor, and then supplies sponsors with the wish list for each family member. In December, families visit Candy Cane Lane to pick up holiday gifts, and enjoy a festive event with treats, characters, photo ops, and more!

For more information about Candy Cane Lane 2022, watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or reach out to Lisa.

For sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, please contact Camille.

Resources for Parents and Caregivers

Your well-being is important to us.

You asked for more resources, and we want to make sure that you know about all of the resources available to you, so we compiled this PDF* covering a wide range of organizations and information specifically related to childhood cancer.

General Resources*

Please see below for ideas on keeping busy at home, as well as links to other websites with information on COVID-19 support guides, helpful apps, and articles. If you have ideas or links to resources that you think would be useful to our community, please email Lisa.

*Please note that Candlelighters is not affiliated with, endorsing, or recommending any of these organizations or activities.