PENSACOLA — Thanks to a grant from IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research will be able to create a Rally Resource Room to serve the families of pediatric cancer patients at the Studer Family Children's Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart.
Children with cancer are often admitted to the hospital for weeks, even months at a time. Prolonged stays in the hospital can create strains on parents who need to keep working, to maintain their income and health insurance while trying to stay close to their child and healthcare providers.
The $101,820 grant will support Rally's project to transform space within the Children's Hospital into a business center-style room that will provide a welcoming workspace for parents to work, pay bills, check emails, take calls, and other day to day office needs, without having to leave the hospital while their child undergoes treatment. The workstations will include desks, computers, printers, necessary supplies, and a relaxation area to help parents balance their job and their child’s care.
The Rally Resource Room powered by IMPACT 100 will also offer a quiet activity space for the patients and siblings of the pediatric oncology families, to utilize while the parent works, as well as for their own academic needs.
The grant also includes a marketing package to increase awareness of childhood cancer in the community and to help raise funds for childhood cancer research through Rally Foundation.
The Rally Resource Room powered by IMPACT 100 will fill an unmet need for pediatric oncology families to help reduce their stress and to maintain as much of their “normal” life as possible. The room will be located on the first floor of the Children's Hospital next to the Bear Family Foundation Pediatric Oncology Center for Hope.
“We are incredibly thankful to be a recipient of an IMPACT 100 grant," said Cindi Bonner, director at Rally Pensacola. "The Rally Resource Room powered by IMPACT 100 will help meet a need for families, allowing them to work, without leaving their child alone in the hospital. Knowing they have a designated workspace will help alleviate some stress of the caregiver(s).
“Having a child diagnosed with cancer causes unimaginable stress to a family, losing a job or insurance over it would be enough to break a family,” she added. “Thanks to the generosity of Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart, which donated the space, Rally Pensacola was able to apply for the IMPACT 100 Grant.
“Our mission at Rally is to fund research, therefore, without the help of IMPACT 100 and the partnership with the hospital, we would not be able to provide this amenity to the families we serve.”
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area Inc. (IMPACT) is an organization of women committed to improving their community by providing substantial grants to nonprofit organizations.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Rally Resource Room powered by IMPACT 100 to support the families at Children’s Hospital