FAMILY SERVICES

Our Family Services program began after repeatedly observing the needs of families facing pediatric cancer. After surveying numerous families it was found that families need support in day-to-day tasks like house cleaning, meal making, and lawn care. They also expressed stress from the financial burden brought on by treatment. The survey results helped formulate FGP’s Family Services program– leading us to provide meals, lawn care, house cleaning and gas & grocery cards. Because the needs of all families are different, we implemented a point system that allows our parents to choose what support best works for their family. Each family is provided the same number of points which hold a monetary value allowing us to provide equal support to each family. Due to the added costs of treatment, travel, and lost work, we added a Financial Relief Fund in 2014. Two times per year we offer an opportunity for financial relief for our families by paying bills directly for them.

From a menu of services using a point system, our families choose from what works for their family. The services are as follows

  • Professional House Cleaning
  • Lawncare
  • Grocery Gift Cards
  • Gas Gift Cards
  • House Projects

Each family is assigned a Lead Volunteer to check on them regularly.

They are given the opportunity to connect with a mentor who has been through pediatric cancer.

Events are scheduled periodically where they can meet other families.

Twice a year we pay bills for the families

70,243.82

We have paid more than $70,200 worth of bills since 2014.

 

STARGAZERS PROGRAM

Our Stargazers program supports families as they face end of life and beyond. This program allows us to provide families with financial, volunteer and emotional support while facing the end of the child’s life, child’s death, the child’s services and life without their child.

Learn more about how this program was started here.

When a child goes into hospice and is facing end of life, we put together a team of volunteers to support them. We also provide the following:

  • Gift card of $500 for errands, expenses, etc.
  • Volunteer support in home (Minimum of 3 hours a week to include errands, cleaning, meal prep, etc.)
  • Home visits
  • Assistance with organizing community support (meal deliveries, etc.)
  • Photos (if not already done)
  • Planning and purchasing items for event (balloon release, photos for display, rock memorial, other requests)
  • Providing photos for the service
  • Volunteer support at cemetery, Funeral Home and at celebration of life or funeral
  • Assistance with cost of headstone
  • Resources for needed support
  • Home visits
  • Grief Books for Family
  • Connections to local organizations providing support
  • Memorial items
  • Newsletters with resources
  • Group Activities for families
  • Random Act of Kindness Days
  • Holiday help- tree set up, house cleaning, meal help
  • Cards on birthdays and anniversaries
  • Continued check ins by FGP volunteers

PHOTOGRAPHY PROGRAM


Fairy Godmother Project’s Photography Program offers 2 complimentary portrait sessions to families dealing with pediatric cancer in our program. Each session is donated by a volunteer professional photographer and can take place at an outdoor location, home, hospital, or studio (if available). Our goal is to capture the families’ moments, connections, and love for each other despite the stress and worry that comes with pediatric cancer in our program.

To request a session please fill out this form.

Kitt Creative Photography generously donates their famous Santa’s Workshop Portraits to Fairy Godmother Project families every year. These sessions are well known and loved in Fredericksburg and we are so grateful to be able to offer this to our families.
Fairy Godmother Project provides mounted prints to families in our program who would like them as a memorial.

SUPPORT GROUPS

We offer support groups for our current, remission/survivor and bereaved families using the Dougy Center Model. While this model is typically used for those facing the loss of a loved one, we use it for all of our families because they all experience grief and loss through their pediatric cancer experience. These support groups provide our families a safe space to share with others who listen and understand without judgment.