Programs

"Children are our most valuable resource".

Herbert Hoover

Due to the pandemic Circle of Friends (COF) was unable to accomplish some of our main projects during 2020 and 2021 and our meetings were cancelled from February 2020 until May 2021. During that period of time we continued some of our work with the hospital virtually and started supporting two new programs in 2021 at the hospital: Creative Arts and the Cook Children's Library Program.

We sent various types of individually wrapped snacks (i.e. fruit snacks, pretzels, peanut butter crackers, granola bars, trail mix) to the breakrooms of the H/O clinics, the COVID-19 areas, and the ER department. The staff loved all the goodies and really appreciated being remembered!

Circle of Friends will continue to help in any way that we can as long as this pandemic lasts.

In May 2021 COF was ready to welcome our members with a “We Are Back” meeting. COF presented checks to the hospital: $15,000 for the Emergency Family Fund and $10,000 for the Creative Arts Program. During the fall we were able to have our regular schedule of meetings each month. Members worked at the Pumpkin Patch during October - painting and embellishing pumpkins of all sizes and colors – some were fun, some were scary and many of them were beautiful. We had a very successful sale.

In November we prepared Christmas bags with games, puzzles and food items and delivered them to the Child Life Specialists at the hospital for distribution to patients and their families.

Learn more about our current programs:

Creative Arts Program

We provide funding for supplies for this program which presents the patients with opportunities to participate in several areas: art, music, drama and professional development. Painting offers the patients opportunities to use their imagination in a variety of different painting classes. The ukulele program allows participants to select a colored ukulele and use a variety of colored artistic materials to decorate and personalize their new instrument. All of these programs are for both inpatients and outpatients and rely entirely on donations for funding. We are completely funding both these programs.

Cook Children's Library Program

We have furnished sets of Dr. Suess books that were both handed out to patients and kept for the library’s use while celebrating Dr. Suess’s birthday in early March. Also, we provide funding to the “Library Board Book for Early Child Literacy” program which will furnish board books to children four years and under that are in isolation, infusion, bone marrow and cannot leave their rooms.

Christmas Family Fund

This project was started in 2007 to help families at the Hematology/Oncology Clinic at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Due to the financial strain on these families, they are not able to provide Christmas for their children. These families are identified by the hospital. Before the pandemic a wish list and a needs list for each child was provided by a parent. We purchased the gifts, wrapped the presents, and delivered them to the Child Life Specialists at the hospital. In 2021 due to restrictions by the pandemic we could only provide each family a gift bag filled with games, puzzles and food items. Families are notified to pick up the gift bags at the hospital. We hope that the restrictions will be lifted so that we can again provide their individual wishes and needs.

Emergency Assistance Fund

A fund assisting with needs of patients and their families such as travel expenses to and from the hospital for treatment, assisting with unpaid bills, or if necessary to ease the burden of funeral expenses.

Hematology and Oncology Infusion Clinic

We are providing funding for pumps to be used by the Infusion Clinic for the treatment of cancer patients through targeted therapy. A donation will be made to the Neuro-Oncology program to purchase a 3D brain model which will show the parents different parts of a child’s brain during family education. Additional funding will also be used to purchase teaching tools and supplies for the patients in this area.

Holiday Celebrations

In observance of various holidays; favors and treats are given to patients in Ft. Worth and Grapevine H/O Clinics.