What it is like working at Helping Families (Cadence)

 (Cadence Chernoff pictured right)

 

I have been working for Helping Families Handle Cancer as an Administrative Assistant for a month and a half and have loved every minute of it.

Helping Families Handle Cancer has allowed me to help people in ways I didn’t know could be possible. I used to think the only way to truly make a difference in people’s lives was to work on the front lines, whether that be a doctor, nurse, or first responder. After working at this charity, I came to realize that there are so many ways to help people. Every day when I log out, I leave knowing that I contributed towards making the life of a family who is dealing with a childhood cancer diagnosis a little bit easier.

I was introduced to the Helping Families Handle Cancer Summer Student program when the Artistic Swimming Club I work for sent the listing for the job position to all eligible applicants. I was nervous at first, but I was encouraged by a Helping Families staff member as well as my Swimming Club Coach.

Helping Families Handle Cancer has given me an opportunity to learn so many valuable skills. There is the administrative side of the job – learning how to write tax receipts and put together the charity’s monthly reports. The marketing side of things allowed me to be creative as I worked in Canva designing materials for special events, social media, and the charity’s first annual golf tournament. Taking photos for our golf tournament auction taught me that there is a strategic way to take photos, with the goal to make everything look cohesive, easy to read, and eye-catching. These are things I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn if I didn’t work for Helping Families Handle Cancer. I had the opportunity to meet Care Program families, be present at events, and even had the chance to visit the oncology unit at the hospital when we made a monthly delivery of coffee cards to our families.

Helping Families Handle Cancer has proven to me that nothing is insignificant. Every dollar, every minute, that a person spends helping another human, changes the outcome of their life. I have seen that $70 donated for a parking pass is not just helping the family save money, it’s also buying the family time. Every minute that I work on a project, propels the charity forward in helping more and more families. Helping Families Handle Cancer shows that even if you do something small, that may seem inconsequential, a ripple effect is then created which leads to something much bigger.

 

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Written by: Cadence Chernoff (Summer Student/Administrative Assistant)

To make a donation to help families who have a little one battling cancer please visit: https://helpingfamilies.ca/donate