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Our Programs

  • Direct Financial Assistance - for everyday expenses such as rent, utility bills, car repairs, parking fees at hospitals, child care, burial expenses etc., and for uninsured items such as therapeutic handicap equipment, medically necessary dietary supplements, special foods and formulas, air conditioners for children with severe pulmonary diseases, wheelchair adaptations, therapeutic horseback riding classes, hearing aids and more.

  • The educational video, “FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DURING CRISIS,” was designed to empower parents and guide them through the complexities of hospital services, insurance claims, personal family budgeting and negotiation and communication with creditors; also, for health care professionals as a sensitivity training tool to help them understand the experiences of families with critically ill children.
  • Education & Advocacy - The Fund serves as a voice for families with seriously ill children to creditors, policymakers, health care systems, media, the insurance industry and other potential supporters.
  • In-Kind Donations - Clothing, furnishings, appliances and household items are accessed through individuals, church and business partnerships for families in need saving "dollars" to be best used for the payment of bills like utility, phone, credit cards or insurance. These donations allow us to build on the level of support we can offer a family.
  • Annual Family Fun Day Cruise on the Spirit of Philadelphia - Through the treasured partnership with the Spirit of Philadelphia Harbor Cruises this annual event provides an afternoon respite cruise for families caring for seriously ill children from the major pediatric hospitals in the Delaware Valley. This "gift" of the Spirit truly symbolizes the real "Spirit" of Philadelphia as it allows us to treat over 400 parents, patients and their siblings to a reprieve from the traumas of serious illness!
  • Annual Social Work and Nursing Symposium provides an opportunity for referring health care professionals to learn more about topics relevant to their work with families, network with the community of health care providers with whom the Fund works, and to help develop and strengthen the Fund’s existing programs and methods of operation. Licensed social workers have received Continuing Education Credits through the University of Pennsylvania and La Salle University's Social Work Program.
  • Holiday Adopt-A-Family - In 1998 four families were referred to the fund for assistance with gifts to bring about the "spirit" of the holiday that would have been unattainable due to the lack of resources. Every year since then the program has grown and in 2007 117 families were touched by the kindness and generosity of our many sponsors who provided gifts of toys, clothing, gift certificates and food.
  • Informational Resources - The Fund frequently directs families and the professionals caring for them to collaborating organizations and other resources locally and nationally.