Amidst the challenges of COVID-19 and its financial implications, Movie4Kids is donating over 3,000 masks to families and children in cancer treatment. Candlelighters – a charity providing emotional and financial support for families with a child dealing with cancer – will coordinate their most at-risk families to place an order for masks with HelpAction Volunteers. This will provide families with the assurance that they have enough disposable masks for hospital visits and treatments.
HelpAction volunteers are now receiving additional notifications, in addition to grocery delivery requests. They will be directed to pickup face masks from Candlelighter’s main office and redistribute them to the address of those who requested the masks.
HelpAction understands that every second counts for people in crisis. That’s why their platform was designed to provide emergency delivery services for essential items like food and medicine to those most in need. They aim to make a difference for at-risk populations like immuno-compromised individuals, healthcare workers, single parents, those who have lost income or been recently unemployed and especially those self-quarantining due to infection by providing them with instant access to help in times of need. They hope to reduce the uncertainty and anxiety surrounding this pandemic for those who have no other options.
Cancer and cancer treatments can cause the immune system to be weakened, making children with cancer more prone to infection and illness. Patients who are in the midst of active treatment for this disease may have a greater risk than those who are in remission.
In general, having cancer or undergoing treatment can reduce immunity levels and make it harder to fight off infections in various ways:
- The number of immune cells that fend off germs may be reduced.
- Radiation and specific medicines may weaken the skin or membranes around the mouth and digestive tract, allowing some kinds of bacteria to enter the body quickly. It is unclear yet whether this affects one’s susceptibility to COVID-19.
About Candlelighters
Candlelighters of the W. TX/So. NM area is a 501(c)(3) non-profit which offers free support to families with children aged 0 to 25 who are affected by cancer. Founded in 1978 by a group of parents joined together through their shared experience of cancer, Candlelighters became a nonprofit in 1983. This was followed by the opening of their first office in 1985 due to the increasing demand for such services. Now, they are proud to serve approximately 300 children undergoing cancer treatment and provide extended help to more than 1,500 registered families throughout El Paso and its surrounding areas.
About Movies4Kids
Movies4Kids is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in El Paso, TX that provides character building activities and experiences to disadvantaged and medically-ill children. The organization strives to bring joy and hope into the lives of these children by hosting Red Carpet premiers for the year’s most anticipated movies so they can experience them before anyone else and feel like they belong.
Nonprofit Partnerships
HelpAction, a volunteer-based organization launched by the Nonprofit Exchange, provides digital fundraising and technology tools to over 100 nonprofits across America. During the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of volunteers are delivering supplies to those in need throughout the country and many organizations rely on manual communication methods that can be inefficient. To help better serve vulnerable populations during this difficult time, HelpAction is now offering partnerships with nonprofit organizations and volunteer groups who wish to organize their volunteers more effectively.
On May 22nd 2020, HelpAction began taking public requests and has been recruiting volunteers in El Paso, TX ever since. For more information about how you or your organization can get involved with HelpAction’s mission, please visit HelpAction.org. Together, we can fight the spread of COVID-19 and help those most in need!
