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Service Ideas for Lions of 5M5
CHILDHOOD CANCER
Here are ideas in one of the five key areas of service on ways to serve your community:
FLEECE BLANKETS
Spend time assembling Fleece No Sew Blankets that will be provided to Children receiving treatments at Children's Hospital. Target 10 blankets.
- Craft stores, such as JoAnn fabrics, has No Sew Fleece blanket kits which are already measured and all you have to do is tie them. Range in price from $7.99 - $14.99
Make fleece tied blankets for children who have cancer and donate the quilts to Project Linus. https://www.projectlinus.org/patterns/
COLOR FOR KIDS WITH CANCER
Order coloring books for your club to support Color for Kids with Cancer. All proceeds go to Children’s Minnesota Cancer Kids Fund.
The books are $10 each and make great gifts.
To order send email to: colorforkidswithcancer@gmail.com
Lions Club International has a childhood cancer project idea document.
https://temp.lionsclubs.org/EN/pdfs/gst1D.pdf
CHEMO CARE PACKAGES
Create chemo care packages. These can be done in a small group event or individually. Sheila from Pennies of Time has some great ideas about creating Chemo Kits for Kids.
https://penniesoftime.com/service-project-for-kids-chemo-care-kit-for-kids/
https://penniesoftime.com/comfort-items-to-give-to-cancer-patients/
https://penniesoftime.com/service-project-coordinating-with-a-hospital-or-clinic/
Pinterest has some great ideas to search for:
- Care Package Ideas for Kids with Cancer
- Chemo Care Kits
- How to make a Chemo Port Pillow
- Chemo Care Bags
- Chemo Care Packages
Find a “bike” ride for the cause
Sign up to do a bike ride and raise funds for childhood cancer. Visit the Great Cycling Challenge for more information. https://greatcyclechallenge.com/
BAGS OF SMILES, INC
A local charity to support is Bags of Smiles, Inc. Bags of Smiles is a volunteer-based non-profit organization that is bringing smiles one bag at a time to local pediatric patients in Minnesota. Find more information about the story behind the organization as well as how to donate or volunteer to put bags together at https://bagsofsmiles.org/
List of hospitals they bring bags to:
- Children’s Hospital & Clinics of MN
- Gillette’s Specialty Healthcare
- U of MN – Masonic Children’s Hospital
- Methodist Hospital (St. Louis Park)
- Maple Grove Hospital
- Robbinsdale
- St. Francis
- Fairview Hospitals (Hibbing Range, Burnsville, Edina, Northland, Wyoming)
- HCMC
- Crescent Cove
Bags of Smiles are filled with high-quality items that include things like:
- Lego Sets
- Reading and Coloring Books
- Toys
- Crafts
- Crayons
- Stuffed Animals
- Baby Rattles
- Handmade Journals
Ronald McDonald House Meal Services
https://rmhc-uppermidwest.org/volunteer/index.html
OTHER WEBSITES TO VISIT
Children’s MN
https://www.childrensmn.org/shinebrightforkids/
American Cancer Society
https://www.cancer.org/about-us/local/minnesota.html
Children’s Cancer Research Fund
https://www.givemn.org/organization/Childrenscancer
OTHER SERVICE IDEAS
- Drive cancer patient along with family members to doctor visits.
- Shovel snow for help out family that has child with cancer.
- Babysit other kids for family that needs to take child for cancer treatments.
- Donate gas card to help with cancer patients, especially if they have to travel far for treatment.
- Deliver meal to family that has child suffering from cancer.
Support Gilda’s Club - Collect money that will be support Gilda’s Club Twin Cities and the teen program there. Money raised will purchase an item (or more) off of their Amazon.com list: https://smile.amazon.com/hz/charitylist/ls/1KUNIRCJD8IJB . The mission of Gilda’s Club Twin Cities (GCTC) is to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community.
Sponsor C.C. Bears through Children’s Cancer Research Fund in Minneapolis. https://childrenscancer.org/resources-for-families/c-c-bear/. Purchase 20 bears at $25 each so 50 children with pediatric cancer can receive a bear.
Help serve meals to patients and families at the U of M Masonic Children’s Hospital.
Make masks for children with cancer at St. Jude Hospital.
Make pillowcases for A Case for Smiles - Finished pillowcases are distributed to 12 children’s hospitals throughout the Twin Cities and Duluth https://caseforsmiles.org/minneapolis/
Knit caps for children who have cancer. These can be done with knitting needles or round looms.
Donate cleaning supplies and make masks for at risk community members and hospitals during the pandemic.
Volunteer at Crescent Cove which is a facility for kids and young adults with life-threatening conditions.
