Our Mission
We believe a child or young parent’s cancer diagnosis is a life-altering “journey.” For that reason, the care and support of the family are required to prevent parent(s) from losing their physical and mental health, home, job, and entering into bankruptcy. Therefore, we provide comprehensive care and services to support the everyday challenges and in-home needs of families with children navigating cancer.
Our Vision
At Here to Serve, we offer comprehensive support for every child or young parent going through cancer. From the moment of diagnosis to the end of treatment, we’re here for you. We provide physical, financial, and emotional assistance, along with resources for caregivers and families – all conveniently in one place. No more stressing about locating and reaching out to different resources. We see cancer as a three-legged stool, comprised of Research, Treatment, AND Journey! The journey is just as important as the medical side. That’s why we believe in giving the same attention, help, and funding to the journey as we do research and hospitals. Anywhere from helping plan meals to setting up your GoFundMe page to providing your family and friends with updates and many ways to help. Remember, YOUR JOURNEY MATTERS, and we are here to lift the burdens.
What We Do
At Here to Serve, we help families take care of a child or parent who is battling cancer. We:
- Bring together people and resources to help families with their everyday needs, especially those who don’t qualify for government aid.
- Build online communities that provide a network of services and financial assistance for families caring for their child or spouse battling cancer.
- Assign a Family Care Coordinator to help with meal coordination, providing family and friends updates on the cancer journey, fundraising assistance, and more.
- Offer hard-to-find resources to support the patient’s battle right from the beginning of treatment, and as needs change over time.
Learn more about Our Services
Who We Serve
At Here to Serve, our main focus is helping families who have a child or young parent dealing with cancer. We evaluate the needs of families based on these factors:
- High risk (70%): Families or single parents who make less than $100,000 a year and just a bit more than 138% of the poverty limit. This means they don’t qualify for government programs that help with things like housing, food, child care, and medical insurance.
- Moderate risk (20%): Families that are still together and make more than $100,000 but less than $200,000 a year. In these families, both parents work.
- Low risk (10%): Families that are still together and make over $200,000 a year. In these families, both parents work.
We want to make sure we’re there for families who need it the most. Has your child, or a parent of a young child(ren), been recently diagnosed with cancer? Contact Us.
Our Inspiration
Here to Serve is dedicated to Silvio Quintas, Bryan Quintas, Phil Carlson, and Paul Alindog who exhibited unimaginable courage, faith, and dignity in their battles with cancer and are the inspiration for starting Here to Serve. Bryan Quintas won his battle with cancer. Silvio, Phil, and Paul are home with the Lord. Because of these valiant warriors, Here to Serve strives to make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and their caregivers battling cancer.
Research the Cure; Treat the Illness;
Manage the Journey
Research, Treatment, and Journey! Cancer is a three-legged stool, NOT two! The journey a family must take when their child or young spouse receives a cancer diagnosis is often overlooked, yet it can make or break you. Hospitals have been known to cure the patient and promptly bury the family in financial debt. What happens if a family is on government assistance or makes more than government support programs and nonprofit organizations allow? A study published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2019 estimated that around 66.5% of all bankruptcies in the U.S. were linked to medical issues.
Many middle and working-class families live on the edge, making ends meet, and therefore don’t have the advantage of receiving government financial support. They often rely on two incomes and pay for private insurance, usually with high deductibles and copays. Their treatment options and hospital choices can be limited because they chose an affordable plan, betting a medical crisis will not occur… and then it happens! Where do they turn? Where does anyone turn who struggles physically, financially, and emotionally after a cancer diagnosis? Often to family and friends. However, this can be a confusing and overwhelming labor of love for even the closest of family members and friends.
Now, you have a special way to make your cancer journey not just easier, but filled with blessings – it’s called Here to Serve! We’re all about your journey and taking care of EVERYTHING in one place. This means updates about your child and family, assistance at home with kids, pets, cleaning, meals, laundry, financial matters, and much more. We provide hard-to-find resources through a family care coordinator who provides leadership, resources and tools to gather friends, family, and loved ones who want to lend a hand.
