UPCOMING PROGRAMS -  Holli Martin

Jim and Connie Miles founded HIS KIDS after loosing a child to cancer.  They realized that there was a huge need for supporting childhood cancer families.  H.I.S. K.I.D.S stands for "Happiness is Serving Kids in Distressed Situations".  When HIS KIDS was founded in 1984 there were 1 in 10,000 children diagnosed with cancer and now it is 1 in 330.

HIS KIDS provides free services to families to help them emotionally, physically (including emergency assistance), and spiritually to cope with their daily trials in fighting against cancer.  There are many limitations to cancer patients that we take for granted daily and many times treatments and care put a huge financial strain on the families.

Their services include Family and Support Preservation (weekend retreats, christmas celebration, family fund day and outings), Youth and Teen Programs (summer camp, teen leadership program, and clinic and hospital acitivies), Bereavement Family Support, and Emergency Assistance (hug-a-family and food pantry).  Because each family is affected differently, they develop personalized plans for each family.

Dawn highlighted a few of the services starting with showing the HIS KIDS Camp Video displaying how they help families to share experiences with one another and break free from their struggles to just be kids for a week.  One sibling who attended camp came home and told her mom how much the share circles met to her because she did not realize how much she was holding in and came back ten pounds lighter.  This years camp was called "The Next Generation" because the directors and staff were previous attenders who found out that camp would not be able to happen unless they took it on.

HIS KIDS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

There are 24 families that need adoption for the holidays.  Need is based on their financial situation as well as the diagnosis and prognosis of each child.  The hospitals review the combination of those three factors and then the give HIS KIDS the families that are in the most needs.  There are other organizations that assist the social workers but have different restrictions on types of gifiting.  Without HIS Kids many kids would not have a gift to open on Christmas.  A few examples of sponsored children are:

• Family of 4 that has a 23 month little girl with leukemia.  She has been fighting cancer since November of 2009.  Her family is a puppy and she loves Mickey Mouse.  Her brother loves Sponge Bob. 
• Seven year old bot who beat cancer once and has relapsed this month with leukemia.  This family of five struggles daily and he has never known his natural father.  Some of his wishes X-box games, the lego Harry Potter set, and pillow pets (bee and lady bug).  Their family is also in need of towels and giftcards (gas and Wal-Mart cards that help wtih perscriptions) and clothing.

 Their Food pantry is currently depleted and need assistant here so the are hosting STUFF THE BUS on November 6 at Wal-Mart from 9-4pm.  They will be collecting food items to help with Holiday Meals, daily needs, and toys for Christmas.  Wal-Mart gift cards are also welcome because they can supply gas and perscriptions needs.

HIS KIDS NEEDS

Financial Support

Due to turnover in the last year and economy the normal end of the year fundraising opportunties have been changed.  They need your participation in their raffle to sustain them through the end of the year.  There are many tickets remaining for their CA$H 4 KIDS 20,000 Raffle available to purchase for $100 each (can purchase as group.)  The drawing will take place on November 23rd.

Volunteer Needs

Administration, Committee (Holiday, various fundraising committees, Program), Special Projects

Office Hours are M-R 9-5pm and they are located at 908 Laurel Street in Highland.    For more information email kidsmw@hiskidsconnection.org or call 6158-654-4020.