Making A Difference in Our Communities
Doing the right thing is a guiding principle here at Onco360 and we believe it is important to support our communities through positive and meaningful engagement. This is accomplished through company and employee donations, fundraising opportunities, and other community involvement. In 2023, we supported almost 20 foundations that also consisted of donated time from a complimentary volunteer day off for each employee.
Providing Hope Through the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
We partnered with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to bring HOPE to breast cancer patients in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2023. NBCF creates and distributes HOPE Kits to breast cancer patients that are filled with thoughtful items that are comforting and encouraging. Because our mission is to improve the lives of patients battling cancer, we sponsored 400 HOPE Kits that were distributed throughout the month of October to breast cancer patients all over the country.
To find out more about the National Breast Cancer Foundation or HOPE Kits
We Are Your Support (WAYS), Sacramento, CA
Leah Sisto, an Onco360 Regional Sales Director, serves as a volunteer on the Board of Directors for W.A.Y.S. – We Are Your Support. WAYS is a cancer survivor/thriver support group, located in the Sacramento, California area, that a close friend created after her cancer diagnosis to help fill the “gaps she noticed in the system.” Services such as medical transportation, therapy, and meals are offered to those who need it, at no cost. To reach more patients battling cancer, they have also launched a podcast in August of 2023 called “Let’s Talk F*ing Cancer” and is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon. It has been well-received, and many cancer survivors have shared that they wish something like this existed when they were going through treatment.
WAYS holds quarterly client events including a large fundraiser each year. This year’s theme was a Casino Night, which was a huge success. It’s so wonderful to see our employees fulfilling our mission in such a big way.
The Hope Lodge®
We were introduced to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge® community in 2022. Their mission aligns perfectly with ours when it comes to their dedication to helping cancer patients and we wanted to do something special for their current residents. Throughout the month of June we divided and distributed over 1,100 Care and Comfort kits to Hope Lodge locations. Each kit contains a blanket, activity booklet, and
colored pencils.
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
A few of our employees in the Pittsburgh area visited the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. They greeted patients and family members as they entered the building for their appointments and handed out 200 Care and Comfort kits (see above). This facility provides the highest level of clinical care to more than 140,000 people each year. They are another organization where patients come first and aligns perfectly with our mission – improving the lives of patients battling cancer.
Dare to Care Food Bank – Kid’s Café
Our Human Resources Department donated their time to the Dare to Care Kid’s Café Center in downtown Louisville, KY. This program provides hot, nutritious meals to kids, and also helps feed the homeless and elderly throughout the community. The team divvied up fruit for each facility, sliced cucumbers, counted out rolls, loaded carts, and cleaned.
La Casita Center, Louisville, KY
For Volunteer Month, Jill and Shayla from our Marketing Department chose to donate their time to the La Casita Center in Louisville, KY. The center enhances the well-being of the Latinx community through education, empowerment, advocacy, and wellness. They helped to organize the diaper room for their thousands of diaper donations every month.
Care Kit Donation to Hope Lodge, Houston, TX
The Hope Lodge is a program that is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and offers a free home away from home for cancer patients who need lodging during their treatments when home is far away. Many of our patients have received lodging, comfort, and support from the Hope Lodge, and we wanted to give back. Employees in Houston decided to put together care and comfort kits for each bed of the 60-bed facility in hopes their stay and treatment were just a little more relaxing.
Habitat for Humanity, Louisville, KY
Nine of our employees spent two days working on repairs for an originally built Habitat for Humanity home. It sat under a massive mulberry tree and the roof and entire home was covered in berries. The house got a good scrubbing all around, concrete areas were pressure washed, and various other repairs were made. Our volunteers got a little dirty but had so much fun.
Houston Food Bank, Houston, TX
A group of our employees from the Houston, TX pharmacy volunteered at the Houston Food Bank where they sorted groceries for donations. This food bank serves 18 counties in southeast Texas through 1,600 community partners and provides food for the almost one million families facing food insecurity in the area.
Blessings in a Backpack, Louisville, KY
Sometimes it’s hard to get away and volunteer away from the office, so we decided to bring an opportunity to our employees. We had an on-site packing and virtual event for Blessings in a Backpack to help feed school-aged children who are at risk of food insecurity on the weekends. We met our donation goal for the virtual event and packed 500 lunch bags on-site.
Light the Night Events for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society all over the country
Onco360 is a large supporter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and we participate in many Light the Night events around the country. Their mission aligns perfectly with our mission – supporting patients with compassion and care in their fight against cancer. Pictured below are employees in Louisville, KY, Houston, TX, Buffalo, NY, New Hyde Park, NY, and Virginia.
Be The Match
Be The Match® manages the most diverse marrow registry in the world. They help patients with life-threatening blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma find genetic matches for blood, plasma, and bone marrow.
Be The Match® visited and spoke at a recent Onco360 employee event. After learning about the process and how easy it is to help someone in need, we had 25 of our employees sign up to be part of the donor registry. We are so proud of our employees and how quickly they always jump in to help patients in any way they can.
BASE Camp Children’s Cancer Foundation
BASE Camp is located in Central Florida and provides a year-round base of support for children and families who are facing the day-to-day challenge of living with cancer and other life-threatening hematological illnesses. They believe that these illnesses affect entire families, not just their patients, so they also offer all of their services to siblings too. “Children shouldn’t be defined by their illness. That’s why at BASE Camp, every child gets to simply be a normal child, with other children just like them. We provide a peer group where struggles and experiences are not only understood but shared.”
BASE Camp’s founder, Terri Jones, is so full of passion and caring for these kids and their families. She has created a safe place that feels like an extended family for so many people. As a way to give back, Onco360 put together four kits to donate to these children and their siblings that we hope will provide lots of fun.
1. 500 Movie Night Boxes – popcorn, candy, gift cards for movies
2. 375 Activity Kits – sudoku, crossword puzzles, markers, colored pencils, puzzles
3. 100 Celebration Kits – cake mix, icing, spatulas, candles, plates, napkins, bowls
4. 375 Snack Kits – ramen, chips, crackers, mac & cheese, water
