Housing relief: Lifting the burden for families this holiday season

By Jacqueline Diaz, Parker Project Team Member

As the holiday season approaches, many of us look forward to time spent with loved ones, the warmth of family gatherings, and the joy of creating new memories. But for families who have a child battling pediatric cancer, the holidays can feel heavy with stress and worry. Financial strain often compounds the emotional and physical toll of caring for a sick child, especially when one or both parents must cut back on work to be by their child’s side. For these families, paying the rent or mortgage becomes a burden that overshadows the season.

This year, Parker Project is launching the Holiday Housing Relief Campaign to help families facing pediatric cancer find peace and stability at home. For the first time, we’re raising funds to cover the rent or mortgage for 180 families across the country during the holiday season. By lifting this financial burden, we hope to give these families the opportunity to focus on what truly matters: spending precious time together. With your support, we can ensure that these families can experience a holiday season filled with love and togetherness, free from the stress of housing insecurity.

The Heart Behind Holiday Housing Relief

The Holiday Housing Relief Campaign was born out of our understanding of the unique challenges families face when a child is diagnosed with cancer. Treatment can be long and exhausting, sometimes requiring families to travel hundreds of miles to access specialized care. This often means one parent must take leave from work, while travel and medical costs continue to pile up. For too many families, the inability to work at full capacity means they are forced to make impossible choices between paying their mortgage or staying by their child’s side.

Our mission is to alleviate some of that burden. With the Holiday Housing Relief Campaign, we’re aiming to raise enough funds to cover the housing costs of 180 families during the holiday season. This means that for one or two months, these families can focus solely on supporting their child and finding moments of joy together.

Imagine the difference we can make: a family will be able to stay in their home without fear of eviction or foreclosure. A mother will have the peace of mind that comes with knowing she can be fully present with her child in the hospital, not worrying about missed rent payments. A father can sit by his child’s bedside, knowing his family’s home will still be there when the dust settles.

How Your Donation Will Help Families

Every dollar donated to the Holiday Housing Relief Campaign will go directly toward helping families with rent or mortgage payments battling childhood cancer. We work closely with our bank partners to ensure that funds are distributed quickly and securely to mortgage companies and landlords directly. Each eligible family receives a personalized grant that reflects the cost of their specific housing needs, providing immediate relief without adding another layer of worry. Here are a few examples of how far your donation can go:

$25 helps with essential expenses.
$100 provides the average family with one day of housing stability.
$500 covers one week of the average family's rent or mortgage.
$1,000 brings us closer to supporting another family’s entire month of housing.

No matter the size of your donation, your generosity will make a direct impact on the lives of these families. When you contribute to the Holiday Housing Relief Campaign, you’re not only providing financial support—you’re giving families a chance to cherish each moment with their child without the looming stress of housing costs.

How You Can Get Involved

Make a Donation – Every dollar goes directly towards the cost of helping families with housing costs. You can make a one-time gift or become a monthly supporter, helping families year-round.
Share Our Campaign – Help us spread the word about the Holiday Housing Relief Campaign on social media, at your workplace, or among friends.
Host a Fundraiser – Bring together friends, family, or coworkers for a holiday fundraiser. Whether it’s a bake sale, charity auction, or online event, every bit helps!
Give the Gift of Stability – This year, consider giving a donation in honor of a loved one. Notify us who the donation was made in honor of and we’ll send them a personalized card letting them know their holiday gift is providing comfort and security to a family in need.

Hope and Stability this Holiday Season

We can’t take away the pain of a cancer diagnosis, but together we can lift some of the financial burdens that weigh heavily on these families. The Holiday Housing Relief Campaign is an opportunity for all of us to bring a little light into the lives of those who are facing one of the toughest challenges imaginable. By supporting this campaign, you’re helping families experience the comfort of a stable home, allowing them to focus on what truly matters this holiday season: love, togetherness, and the hope for a brighter future.

Join Us in Making a Difference

This holiday season, let’s come together to make a meaningful impact in the lives of families who need it most. We hope you’ll join us in supporting the Holiday Housing Relief Campaign by donating, spreading the word, or getting involved in any way you can. Together, we can make the holidays a little brighter for families facing pediatric cancer.

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