CanceR Kindness

I missed writing last night for a good reason: it was the first official meeting of the board of CanceR Kindness, a nonprofit I have shepherded to life here in Valdez. It’s mission is to assist cancer patients and their families with the stresses and challenges of addressing their illness while living in the semi-isolated wilds of Alaska. Specifically, it contributes singular acts of kinds in the form of gift certificates and retailer cards (food, gasoline, etc) which then removes the burden of securing those things. I’m not the founder of the organization or the primary worker, but I do handle a lot of the back office issues. And all six of the board members have some connection with cancer.

It is a marvelous organization fulfilling a need that I am very proud of. We’re keeping very word-of-mouth right now to keep overhead low and to eliminate he need for a lot of application qualifying. In such a low population area (Valdez and the Copper River Valley), its fairly easy to find out who needs help. Word gets around.

This might be the only mention of the organization on the entirety of the internet. It will probably stay that way for the time being. And in this age of social media, its somewhat refreshing to be part of something you don’t feel the need to trumpet every time something happens. It just does. The people who need to know, know.