When Steps Together was founded, we imagined a team that could support all the great causes in our community. We however learned that to become a 501(c)(3) we had to have a very specific mission. Our mission became to help families affected by a medical crisis. This page is our way of still supporting all the incredible resources and causes in our community.
The intent of this page is to help families learn of all the available resources and organizations that could be of assistance to them. Often times when a medical crisis hits, there is little time to research things like managing the daily tasks or online giving options. Almost every link that appears on this site have had a direct impact on the families we help. An * will note if it was a resource that reached out to us and asked to be included. Please note that this page is a constant work in progress. If we are missing an important resource, please let us know!
Management Tools
Take Them A Meal: For those times in life when filling their table will warm their hearts. Simplifying meal coordination so friends, family, neighbors and co-workers can show they care.
Lotsa Helping Hands: Lotsa Helping Hands powers online caring Communities that help restore health and balance to caregivers’ lives. The service brings together caregivers and volunteers through online Communities that organize daily life during times of medical crisis or caregiver exhaustion in neighborhoods and communities worldwide. The hallmark of the service is the caregiver-focused Help Calendar, which enables members to schedule and sign up for tasks that provide respite for the caregiver including meals for the family, rides to medical appointments, and visits. Now, when someone asks “what can I do to help?” the answer is “give me your name and email address” – the system takes over and allows people to sign up and start helping.
Sign Up Genius: The idea for SignUpGenius sparked out of need to simplify and organize the various groups and communities we are involved in.
Online Giving Options
There are many options for online fundraising. They all vary with regard to percentages charged, withdraw fees, ease of use, ability to host additional information. It is very much a personal preference. Many of our beneficiaries who have web pages on our site simply have us link to a PayPal account connected to their bank account.
Also check out Neighbors Fundraising For Neighbors.
Communications
Many of our families create Facebook pages to easily keep people updated. The page can be created as a community page or as a group. Group pages are more private and require members to be accepted. The choice depends on the level of privacy desired. Below are other options.
Care Pages: Share your story. Build your support circle. CarePages websites are free patient blogs that connect friends and family during a health challenge.
Caring Bridge: We offer protected websites for connecting people when it matters most.
Community Resources In Addition To Steps Together
Jack’s Kids is dedicated to helping children and their families with the expenses and issues related to childhood illnesses and disabilities. Our moral compass is directed to support these children and families in any way we possibly can.
Kelsey Charity Run benefits area children and families fighting cancer and other life threatening conditions.
Kier’s Kids helps children (infancy to 18 years) and young adults (19 to 30 years) with cancer and their families in several ways.
Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund is a financial assistance program for New Jersey Families who children have an illness or condition otherwise uncovered by insurance, State or Federal programs, or other source, such as fundraising. The Fund is intended to assist in preserving a family’s ability to cope with the responsibilities which accompany a child’s significant health problems.
Dance For The Cure is committed to the prevention and cure of Cancer through the celebration of dance. All monies raised are distributed directly to the growing number of local families who have found themselves in difficult and unforeseen circumstances.
STOMP The Monster™ provides financial and other support to cancer patients, their families, and caregivers when they need it most – during their fight with the disease. We promote a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and exercise, leading by example, and provide funding for potential advances in prevention and treatment.
Elle Foundation – Grants wishes for children with Cancer.
PIONEER Family Success Center - To provide an environment to strengthen and empower individuals and families, and to build connections among families and the community.
Medical Equipment Ministry – A place to borrow or donate medical equipment.
Emmanuel Cancer Foundation provides a variety of specialized services, at no charge, to any New Jersey family facing the challenges of caring for a child with cancer.
Embrace Kids Foundation exists to lighten the burden and improve the quality of life for children with cancer, sickle cell and other serious disorders in the New Jersey/New York City metropolitan area.
Crossroad 4 Hope (Formerly Cancer Support Community) is a place for people with cancer and their loved ones find support, education and hope. In a home-like setting we offer professionally-led support groups, educational programs, nutritional and healthy cooking workshops, healthy life-style programs, resources and opportunities to socialize with other individuals who understand the impact of cancer. There is no charge for the programs. Our programs and services empower the individual diagnosed with cancer and the caregiver to take an active role in their journey with, through, and beyond cancer diagnosis.
Jewish Family Service of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren County is a leading, forward-thinking, highly-respected and non-sectarian social services agency. Read more about their mental health outpatient services here. Services are also provided on a sliding fee scale. Payment arrangements can be made to accommodate your budget.
Family Reach is a national nonprofit dedicated to alleviating the financial burden of cancer. Working with more than 300 hospitals and cancer centers nationwide, we provide immediate financial assistance, education and navigation to families before they hit critical breaking points. Our efficient, solutions-driven model bridges the gap between hospital and home, quickly providing the vital support families need to stay afloat.
InvisiYouth Charity is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that helps teens and young adults with various chronic illnesses gain the right lifestyle tools, programs, empowerment and fun events to learn how to keep living life while battling illnesses. With InvisiYouth, older youth and their support systems can become empowered older youth in all the non-medical aspects of their lives with any illness, visible or invisible.
The Mended Little Hearts’ mission is to provide hope and support to children, families and caregivers impacted by congenital and acquired heart defects in order to extend and improve quality of life.
Hayden’s Heart raises awareness about congenital heart defects and helps keep Hayden’s memory alive. They assist families with their immense medical bills and travel expenses.
Sisters Network Central New Jersey. SNCNJ was formed in January 2000 and serves as a critical resource for women battling the disease of breast cancer.
Mary’s Place By The Sea. Mary’s Place by the Sea is a respite home for women who are receiving treatment for cancer. We provide services that complement their medical treatment, including oncology massages, nutrition education, individual counseling, Reiki, guided meditation and yoga. Mary’s Place by the Sea is not a medical facility with medical staff. We offer integrative services to women with cancer and provide rest and support during this challenging time in their lives. They are empowered with knowledge that will aid them on their road to healing.
United for HER. Unite for HER is committed to helping women diagnosed with breast cancer navigate their way through treatment by providing complementary therapies designed to promote physical and emotional wellness. Our goal is to be a continued resource and support system for those affected by breast cancer.
Thea’s Star of Hope. Thea’s Star of Hope brings Hope to every family touched by pediatric brain tumors. We aim to improve treatments and provide support for families of kids with brain tumors so that they can live and not just survive. That means we support research for improved therapies with fewer side effects and efforts to make treatments more tolerable. We also provide resources for families undergoing treatment or dealing with the long-term effects resulting from treatments.
Financial Help for Cancer Victims. **
Icing Smiles: Icing Smiles is a nonprofit organization that provides custom celebration cakes and other treats to families impacted by the critical illness of a child. We understand that the simple things, like a birthday cake, are luxuries to a family battling illness. Our goal is to create a custom cake for the ill child, or their sibling, that provides a temporary escape from worry and creates a positive memory during a difficult time.
Caregivers Coalition: United Way Caregivers Coalition promotes knowledge of and action around caregiving issues to ensure all caregivers identify themselves in this role and have access to the resources, services, education, and other support needed to sustain them as caregivers.
Sweet Dreams For A Cure: Dreamcases were created in hopes of providing sweet dreams to anyone receiving treatment due to an illness.
Patient Advocate Foundation: A non-profit organization which provides professional case management services to Americans with chronic, life threatening and debilitating illnesses.
NeedyMeds is a national non-profit organization that maintains a website of free information on programs that help people who can’t afford medications and healthcare costs.
Click here to learn more about the Co-Pay Assistance Program through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
PALS is a 501 (c)(3) non profit that arranges FREE air transportation throughout the Northeastern U.S., for individuals in need of medical diagnosis, treatment or follow up, for military personnel and their families or for other compassionate or humanitarian purposes.
NextStep: If you’re age 16-29 and are living with cancer, HIV/AIDS or a rare genetic disorder, get on over here! At Next Step, we understand the specific challenges you’re facing and we’re here to help. Next Step shatters limitations and elevates aspirations of young people with serious illness during their transition to adulthood.
Grief Resources
Loss of children or siblings, The Compassionate Friends, https://www.compassionatefriends.org/
For children that lost parents, loss of children or siblings, Good Grief, https://good-grief.org/
If you or your child are grieving the death of a close loved one, we want to support you! In 2021, we held 14 in-person camps and 6 virtual camps. We recognize that everyone has different circumstances and comfort levels and we plan to continue both in-person and virtual camps this year. Home - Comfort Zone Camp
For any loss, Grief Share, https://www.griefshare.org/
For families of organ / tissue donors, NJ Sharing Network, https://www.njsharingnetwork.org/family-services
Local hospitals and hospice groups often have grief services too.
Financial Planning / Debt Management
Martin Nielsen: As an independent financial planner, Martin works with families to address their specific needs and goals, whether it is as simple as creating a budget and dealing with debt that is holding them back from meeting their other financial objectives, or creating a comprehensive plan to save for their children’s college or their own retirement. Click here to email Martin or visit his website.
Organizations started by the families that have worked with Steps Together
The Brooke Healey Foundation was created to build awareness and raise funds for research in DIPG; to help families dealing with pediatric cancers, especially brain cancers and DIPG; to foster supportive community relationships and to promote involvement through scholarships awarded to civically active high school seniors.