2-1-1
Population served: Everyone in the U.S. (check the website for availability in your area)Mission:
2-1-1 is the telephone number of a call center that offers information and provides referrals to health and human services for everyday needs and in times of crisis. Services vary from community to community.
Examples of service referrals include:
- Basic human need resources: food banks, clothing, shelters, rent assistance and utility assistance
- Physical and mental health resources: medical information lines, crisis intervention services, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention
- Employment support: unemployment benefits, financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance and education programs
- Support for older Americans and persons with disabilities: home healthcare, adult daycare, congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, transportation and homemaker services
- Support for children, youth and families: childcare, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring and protective services.
2-1-1 Canada
Population served: Certain sections of Canada (check the website for availability in your area)Mission:
2-1-1 is the telephone number of a call center that offers information and provides referrals to health and human services for everyday needs and in times of crisis. Services vary from community to community.
Examples of service referrals include:
- Health services and support
- Financial and social assistance
- Housing and utility help
- Food assistance and meal programs
- Senior services and home care
- Government program assistance
- Parenting and family programs
- Disability support services
- Volunteer organizations
- Newcomer services
- Mental health support
American Cancer Society (ACS)
Contact: 800-227-2345Population served: People affected by a cancer internationally; programs and services offered to patients and caregivers residing in the United States
Other language(s): Spanish, Chinese, Korean, VietnameseMission:
In the U.S., ACS is a community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem.
- Provides educational materials both online and in print about cancer, including blood cancers, as well as related information on topics such as diet, exercise, complementary and alternative medicine, and disease statistics
- Offers support services via online discussion boards and in-person support groups through local chapters
- Cancer Survivors NetworkSM, a global online community, transcends geographic boundaries and builds bonds among cancer survivors and caregivers through shared experiences and feelings
- Road to Recovery, a program offered locally by some chapters, has volunteer drivers who transport patients to and from treatment appointments
- Hope Lodges are temporary housing accommodations for patients traveling far from home for treatment. There are more than 30 lodges
- American Cancer Society’s Wig Bank - Provides free wigs from limited supply to needy patients suffering hair loss due to cancer treatment. Intended for those with insufficient insurance coverage for cranial prostheses (wigs).
Bereaved Parents of the USA
Contact: WebsitePopulation served: Bereaved parents and their families in the U.S. who are struggling to survive their grief after the death of a child
Mission:
To educate families about the grief process and all its complexities as it applies to the death of a child at any age and from any cause; to aid and support those who are suffering such a loss, regardless of race, creed or financial situation.
- Provides monthly meetings with sharing groups and occasional informative programs
- Provides a library at each meeting place where members may borrow books with up-to-date information about the grief process
- Supplies the telephone numbers of other bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents who are able to offer support to other more newly bereaved families
- Informs and educates members of the helping professions who interact with bereaved parents as to the nature and duration of parent/sibling/grandparent bereavement
- Publishes a national newsletter.
CancerCare
Contact: 800-813-4673Population served: Individuals, families, caregivers and the bereaved in the U.S. affected by a cancer diagnosis
Other language(s): SpanishMission:
To provide free, professional support services to individuals, families, caregivers and the bereaved to help them cope with and manage the emotional and practical challenges of cancer.
- Oncology social workers are available for telephone counseling services to provide support, information and resources to help in coping with cancer
- Offers online support groups and educational publications
- Cancer Out Loud: The CancerCare Podcast features conversations with people living with cancer, caregivers, survivors, loved ones and the bereaved
- Connect Education Workshops in which leading experts in oncology provide up-to-date information in one-hour workshops over the telephone or online
- Financial assistance for transportation, medications, home care, child care, or durable medical equipment may be available for patients in active treatment. Eligibility guidelines vary depending on diagnosis, gender and geographic location. Call for details
- Young Professionals Committee Scholarship Program awards $2,500 grants to young adults who have lost a parent or guardian to cancer in the last two years. Applicants must be from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania. Call for details.
- Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp - a free retreat for families with children coping with the loss of a loved one to cancer
- Pen Pal Program: Cancer patients age 65 and older can receive letters from a caring volunteer
- Financial assistance for insured cancer patients in treatment in the US to help with co-payments for chemotherapy and targeted treatment medications who meet certain financial, medical and insurance eligibility criteria. Check the website (http://cancercarecopay.org/) or call 866-552-6729 for details.
Final Farewell
Contact: 215-870-8110Population served: Families in the US whose child under the age of 18, or dependent mentally and physically handicapped adult child, has passed away
Other language(s): SpanishMission:
To provide financial assistance, advice and guidance to grieving families from all religions and backgrounds so they may provide an affordable and decent funeral for their loved child.
- Families may use online form to apply for assistance.
Open to Hope
Contact: Website onlyPopulation served: People who have suffered the loss of a loved one
Mission:
To provide a content-rich, online forum with information and support so that people who experience loss can learn to cope with their pain, heal their grief, and invest in their future.
- Offers information, resources, book lists, community forums, radio and TV shows.
The Compassionate Friends (TCF)
Contact: 877-969-0010 or 630-990-0010Population served: Families in the U.S. who have lost a child to any illness
Other language(s): SpanishMission:
To provide highly personal comfort, hope, and support to every family experiencing the death of a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, or a grandchild, and help others better assist the grieving family.
- Offers in-person support groups via local chapters across the U.S.
- Offers live “chats” through an Online Support Community to encourage connecting and sharing among parents, grandparents, and siblings (over the age of 18) grieving the death of a child. The chat rooms supply support, encouragement, and friendship.
- Webinars, free of charge, on various bereavement issues.
The Dougy Center for Grieving Children
Contact: 503-775-5683 or 866-775-5683Population served: Children, teens, young adults and their families worldwide
Other language(s): SpanishMission:
To provide support in a safe place where children, teens, young adults and their families grieving a death can share their experiences.
- Provides a variety of bereavement support groups in the Portland, Oregon area and referrals to support services in other areas of the U.S.
- Provides educational materials about children and grief
- Offers training to local and national agencies.
WidowedParent.org
Contact: Website onlyPopulation served: Widowed mothers and fathers with children in the home, professionals
Mission:
To support widowed mothers and fathers with children in the home.
- Hosted by the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the website offers information for parents and children about dealing with grief plus an online list of resources and supports.