Ukandu

Mission

Ukandu’s mission is to bring hope, joy, and connection to families impacted by childhood cancer. We do this by creating supportive programs where the whole family can heal, play, make memories together, and build a community of support to help them navigate the challenges of childhood cancer. All programs are 100% free of charge.

In 2022, Ukandu partnered with OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute to further identify gaps in services for this community. 90% of families reported their mental health needs were not sufficiently supported during treatment. Only 12% of parents reported that their mental health was adequately supported in the 5 years post-treatment. These families need specific, trauma-informed support from diagnosis, through treatment, to survivorship and beyond. Ukandu programs create space for authentic connection and a vital, supportive community for these families. At Ukandu, kids impacted by cancer can “just be kids” and reclaim the joy of childhood, while parents can “just be human” and find much-needed respite.

When we reach our goal of $35,000, we’ll be able to fully cover all activities for our annual summer camp program - this includes supportive programming for caregivers and all the classic summer camp activities that allow Ukandu to empower these children and offer them a week of normalcy and joy.

Bottom Line for Portland

In 2025, 600-800 families in Oregon will face a childhood cancer diagnosis. These families need support outside the hospital environment where they can heal and find community. To date, Ukandu has served over 1,200 families and over 4,500 children impacted by childhood cancer, 90% of whom report an increased sense of hope and a strengthened support network. 

For 38 years, we’ve brought transformative summer camp experiences to these families, and in the last 10 years, we’ve expanded our programming to include year round support to respond to the diverse needs of each member of the family.

Quote

"Sabina, who has just wrapped up 9 months of intensive chemotherapy and surgery for Osteosarcoma, told me that Camp Ukandu was the first time she felt like she "fit in and belonged."  She said it was pure magic to meet other kids who actually know first-hand what it's like to go through what she has. And it was wonderful for them both to see kids in their various stages of cancer survival, being joyful, playful and being KIDS!" - Ukandu Parent

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We regularly seek and incorporate direct feedback from the community we serve to improve programming and make Ukandu as accessible and inclusive as possible. We aim to create a safe and nurturing space for all participants where identities are honored, and where our differences are not ignored but celebrated for the diverse perspectives that we collectively bring. 

We also recognize that while cancer may not discriminate, access to medical services and support has long been characterized by racist and classist practices; part of our outreach strategy includes building meaningful relationships within neglected communities to learn about their experiences and to help bridge the gap between underserved communities and supportive programming for families facing childhood cancer. 

Incentives

• - 11/4 - 11/8: The first two $25 donors each day will receive a $10 gift card to Bipartisan Cafe
• - 11/11 - 11/15: The first $50 donor that week will receive a gift card and doggy gift basket from Personal Beast Pet Supply
• - 11/18 - 11/22: The first $50 donor that week will receive a class package from Barry's in NW Portland. And, everyone who donates $10+ that week will receive a code to try their first class at Barry's for free!
• - 12/3: The first $50+ Giving Tuesday donor will receive a gift card to Threshold Brewing & Blending
• - 12/8 - 12/14: Thanks to Charter Mechanical's generous match, all donations given in this timeframe will be matched 100%, up to $5,000!

Partner(s)

We’re so grateful to our 2024 partners for helping to make our Give!Guide campaign a success <3

A special thanks to Charter Mechanical for generously contributing a 5k matching donation!
We would also like to thank Bipartisan Cafe, Personal Beast, Barry's, and Threshold Brewing and Blending for providing awesome incentives to our donors.