WAYS TO HELP...
I always get asked by people how they can either help me or what I would recommend for someone else. There are so many things that I can think of so I thought I would share with you all in case you are looking for a special way to help someone or encourage someone..
First and most important, if you are a believer, is to PRAY! Prayer, as we all know, is a powerful thing! When you tell someone you are going to pray for them, mean it and do it. Sometimes it’s hard to remember who and what to pray for, after all our prayer lists are long! Put little sticky notes around the home to remind you. Even if you don’t know specific needs of someone, just ask God to be with them that day and give them what they stand in need of for that time. He knows our needs!
Now to some other ideas, depending on if you know them personally or not, you can be the judge of what would be best.
-offer to go to their home during their treatment to clean up, do laundry, wash bed sheets..etc.
-Notes/Cards
-make meals -ask what the family will prefer or if there are any allergies and use disposable containers.
-do some baking for them -great idea if there are kids in house, for school snacks! I had lots of baking dropped off. TIP-do not pack in a container you need back. Get some foil pans from the dollar store. If meant for school, you can even wrap in individual bags for the kids. Someone did this for me and it was great…put into the freezer and it was ready for the kids to just grab in the morning!
-pick up groceries for them
-offer to drive them to and from treatment
-Email of encouragement
-I had a mom bring my girls home after volleyball practices so they could be on the team, that helped a lot!!
-a cute hat! I had gifts of hats, scarves, blankets..you name it!
-fresh flowers.. A friend brought me a gerber daisy after each treatment.
-pedicure giftcard…some salons will donate a pedicure for a cancer patient..just ask!
-if you know the family well, offer to take the kids out for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon…park (when the weather is nice!), movies, shopping, swimming…kids need to get away from the house and mom and dad are not always energetic enough to do that.
-encouraging bible verses
-buy a heating pad for bone pain..if they don’t have one. These work great!
-if they live alone, offer to bring them lunch and pick up something for the two of you…lunch and company are two great things together!
-offer to pickup some books from the local library for them. They can go online and reserve the books they want and all you have to do is pick them up!
-Canadian Tire money-*see note below!!
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and they have an Annual walk to raise awareness and funds. Find out if there is a walk to support the cause you are helping a friend with. If there is, start up a group..family, friends, co-workers, fellow church goers, school families..this is an amazing way to support your loved one and bring awareness to the cause.
-packages of soft tissue..you lose nostril hair on chemo and your nose will be runny because of that!
Ideas for gifts/gift baskets:
Good hand lotion (skin changes during treatment)
Soft toothbrushes
Fuzzy socks (who doesn’t love new socks??)
New housecoat!!
Gum or hard candies(some get side effects that leave a metal taste in mouth…gross!)
Coffee gift cards
Journal and pen
Magazine/devotional/crossword book
Thank you cards for them to write notes of thanks to others
Look online, there are lots of websites you can buy items according to what type of cancer ribbon color…shirts/keychains/water bottles..great ideas! This will also help support Cancer awareness and finding cures for Cancer.
Gift cards:
Coffee-Tims/Starbucks
Groceries
Gas Cards(great for people going back and forth to hospital)
iTunes cards-they can upload music to listen to during treatment
Online shopping (not many have the energy to go out and shop)
Do not be hurt if you do not receive an email back, or a note of thanks. For me, I would of LOVED to send out individual notes of thanks to everyone, but in reality, I just didn’t have the energy to do that. Plus, I was very blessed that I was overwhelmed with help, in all areas!
Somethings I‘ve learned thru this is…
-STOP saying no to people when they offer help
-When going thru this, sometimes you just simple do not know what you need. It’s important for others to be creative in what they do, and sometimes to just tell someone what you are going to do. People used to ask me all the time, ‘What can I do for you’, I had to start telling them to be creative and just do. My brain was pretty much fried with all the info and back and forth to the Doctors that I didn’t even want to think anymore. Phone them and just say “I want to make a meal and I will have supper at your place on ______ night”, “I am free on Friday morning for 2 hours and would like to come over and clean your floors”, “What kind of baking do your kids like. I am baking today and want to do some for you guys and will drop it off tomorrow”. BE CREATIVE…all ideas will be welcomed!!
*GAS MONEY-Here in Kelowna, people can donate their Canadian Tire money to help Cancer Patients with fuel costs!! How fabulous is that?? It doesn’t cost you anything to help others!! If your local Cancer Clinic takes part, please contribute! If they don’t, perhaps you can get something like that going in your area??
I hope that you find this information as valuable as I did. Take care and blessings to all of you.
