Special Love is a wonderful organization for which I have volunteered with for more than 20 years. The community is a great resource for children and families finding their way through the childhood cancer journey. I have always been impressed that they have programs for all members of the family from the young cancer patient, to their siblings, and parents and/or caregivers.
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- EIN 54-1218130
- info@specialove.org
- (540) 667-3774
- 158 Front Royal Pike Suite 311 Winchester VA 22602 USA
- www.specialove.org
- Facebook page
- specialove_org
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Camps, Cancer, Children & Youth, Children & Youth Services, Sports
Mission: To provide cancer families a network of support, made up of other patients and families who know and understand the trials and triumphs of the cancer experience.
Target demographics: Children with cancer and their families
Direct beneficiaries per year: More than 800 children battling cancer and their families
Geographic areas served: Virginia's Shenandoah Valley
Programs: Special Love provides a strong, nurturing environment for children with cancer and their families; through its free camps and get-away weekends, emergency financial assistance, and educational scholarships for young adults who have beaten cancer and now want to move on with their lives. Since its inception in 1983, children have come from the Washington metropolitan area, as well as areas all across the country through our partnership with the National Institutes of Health and area hospitals. Weeklong camps, weekend getaways and day long programs cater to each member of the family through the cancer journey as well as the patient ages and moves on from cancer. Our programs also extend to the siblings and parents who have lost their young cancer patient. Camp Fantastic - weeklong camp for children with cancer. It's a fun-filled week of swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, marshmallow roasting, campfire singing and pillow fighting. Medical staff are present for the entire week of camp to care for the children. BRASS Camp - for the brothers and sisters of children with cancer. While the parents of a young cancer patient understandably spend much of their time focusing on the needs of their sick child, the healthy siblings sometimes feel guilty, invisible or ignored. As brothers and sisters experience the same emotional upheavel as parents, they may have less capacity to cope. Special love's unique camps for siblings become an important outlet as siblings adjust to a new family routine.