Topic Nights: Meeting the Needs of Families
Family Topic Night is a new series created this year as a response to the needs of the families that we have heard and witnessed. Our first topic night was held in January, when Ted Bowman, an educator, author and consultant who specializes in change and transition in families, led a discussion on celebrating family and focusing on the fact that your family is more than cancer. Another topic night called “Making Memories”, held in June, gave families the opportunity to get their family portrait taken for free of charge by Maija Photography. In July, families explored creative healing through the Pathways program which included activities such as meditation, sand play, and a discussion on stress-free parenting.
One woman who participated in the “Making Memories” topic night shared her thoughts, “At a time when families are putting out thousands of dollars in medical bills it was really nice to get some photos taken at no cost. We don’t often go have a professional photo taken of us as adults. It was also nice she did some of my husband alone. We appreciate the gift.”
Most recently, on Monday, we held a college night for Facing Cancer Together participants in the Angel Foundation office. Consultants from College Connectors were invited to discuss the college search process with the 10 participating families. Topics discussed included finding the college that fits the student, student assessment, college admission tests, college characteristics, types of applications, search tools, college visits, and paying for college. Families were also given the opportunity to schedule a complementary consultation with an independent educational consultant to discuss their particular needs and circumstances.
Our topic nights provide education and support for the entire family, both parents and children. Therefore, our goal is to provide families with topic nights that are the most helpful and relevant to their needs. If you have any topics that you would like to see in a future family topic night, please leave a comment below.
By Sam Wroge, Marketing Intern at Angel Foundation