Please pass this along, this is such a wonderful way to help people who NEED someone to care. I am a founding member of AIA and I would love to see it grow more.
The Angels in Atlanta formed just over two years ago in September 2004. A small group of volunteers came together in an effort to support families of children who are suffering (and FIGHTING) pediatric cancer. Our main goal is to feed families whose children are going through treatment and who are inpatient at either Egleston or Scottish Rite Hospital. Upon meeting these amazing children and their parents, we have come to realize that so many of the families have very little support--both emotionally and financially. It also came as a shock to many of us to realize that oftentimes treatment would force these children to remain hospitalized for weeks to even months at a time. Some of "our kids" have resided there for up to NINE months.
FLOOR MEALS: As mentioned above, one of our main goals is to feed the families who are inpatient at the hospitals. We do this by the following:
Mini Dinners: Our goal is to have 2 "mini floor dinners" per month at both of the hospitals. A "Mini Dinner" refers to a dinner put on for the entire floor by 3-4 of our volunteers. The dinner is done on a "smaller scale" in which we usually have an entree, side, bread and desert. The volunteers usually meet to set up and leave the food for the families to enjoy. This type of dinner allows for any family residing on the AFAC Cancer floor to have dinner but the volunteers do not have to invest a lot of time by staying at the hospital. We have found that these types of dinners are mutually beneficial for both families and volunteers.
Hosted Floor Dinners: We attempt to have these dinners every 2-3 months. During a "hosted dinner", we encourage ALL of our volunteers to attend. The dinner is done on a bigger scale and we usually have more of a feast-like atmosphere. The volunteers stay while the families eat and we get to know some of the children and their parents. We also hand out blankets (see below) and oftentimes hand out small toys or other fun items. The hosted dinners always have a great response as we love to visit with the families AND our fellow volunteers.
OTHER PROJECTS:
Blankey Brigade: We have found this to be an extremely successful project! Many of the 'Angels' as well as other groups around Atlanta have donated their time to making "No Sew" Fleece Blankets for the children. This has been a huge hit with the kids and we have found many generous groups (ex: Girl Scouts, church groups etc...) who have been willing to donate these easy to make, yet wonderfully comforting blankets to the kids going through treatment.
Pantry Packers: The Social Workers at the hospitals have made us aware that many of the families are struggling financially. This is a project in which we donate canned/boxed goods to the "pantry" and the Social Workers distribute the food as needed.
We are so proud to announce that the Angels in Atlanta have become a Non Profit Organization. This means that all of our donations (whether direct cash donations OR food bought for a meal) will be tax deductible. This also opens many doors for us when it comes to fundraising. We are still coming up with fundraising ideas but plan to have an event in the near future.
These are just a few of the plans and projects that we have in the works. We love to share information about our group and of our main focuses is to spread the word about what an incredible and rewarding group this is. One of our strongest needs is for volunteers--especially for the Mini Floor Dinners. We truly appreciate your interest and hope that you will come to our online board to see what we are all about. The 'Angels' communicate mainly through this board and invite you to join. Please go to http://www.angelsinatlanta.org/Message2/ and register. If it would be more convenient, you may email me @ ccbell0322@yahoo.com for more information.
