What they reported doing
- #1 primary $5KRegional sponsorship of Gabes Chemo Duck program which provides stuffed toy ducks to newly diagnosed children with cancer. Each duck is equipped with either an internal mediport or external hickman/broviac tube. The children are given their own personal duck and educated about their treatment procedures by demonstration with their duck. This helps ease the anxiety of the child during treatment.
- #2 $460Sponsorship of The Bead Program at participating pediatric cancer centers. This program gives each participating child a chance to tell their own unique story using a large selection of glass & wood beads with each bead representing a specific treatment they have received.
What they call their work
What they do
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Recreational and Emotional Support Programs for Children with Serious Illnesses 3 activities
- Administer The Bead Program for treatment journey milestonesSupports The Bead Program at pediatric cancer centers, providing symbolic glass and wood beads—over 60 types representing specific medical experiences—to help children mark milestones in their cancer treatment journey.
- Compile and share support resources for familiesCompiles and provides access to a list of resources offering treatment, guidance, and support for children with cancer and their families, based on the founders' personal experience.
- Support siblings of children with cancerProvides targeted support services for siblings of children with cancer to address emotional needs and strengthen family resilience during treatment.
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Therapeutic Comfort Kits and Room Makeovers 2 activities
- Distribute Chemo Duck therapeutic toysSponsors and distributes Gabe's Chemo Duck—stuffed toy ducks with medical ports—to newly diagnosed children with cancer to educate them about treatment procedures and reduce anxiety through play therapy.
- Distribute comfort items in travel suitcases for newly diagnosed childrenProvides newly diagnosed children with cancer a “travel suitcase” filled with comforting and engaging items to promote emotional relief and a sense of normalcy during treatment.
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Holiday and Seasonal Essentials Distribution 2 activities
- Distribute Halloween goodie bags to children with cancerAnnually distributes Halloween goodie bags filled with safe treats and toys compliant with pediatric cancer center health guidelines; distributed 10,657 goodie bags in a recent year.
- Host annual Holiday Toy DriveConducts an annual Holiday Toy Drive each November to distribute brand-new, health-compliant toys to children with cancer, ensuring items meet strict safety standards for immunocompromised patients; distributed 9,183 holiday toys in a recent year.
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Advocacy for Worker Health and Leave Policies 1 activity
- Advocate for parental bereavement leave legislationAdvocated for amendments to the Family and Medical Leave Act and contributed to the introduction of H.R. 8207, the “Parental Bereavement Act of 2026” (also known as The Sarah-Grace-Farley-Kluger-Barklage Act), to provide bereavement leave for parents who lose a child.
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Back-to-School Supply Distribution 1 activity
- Conduct annual school supply drivesOrganizes annual school supply drives—both in-person (July 6 to August 7) and online—to collect and distribute new, unused educational materials such as backpacks, notebooks, and crayons to children with cancer receiving home or in-patient tutoring.
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Benefit Events for Arts and Culture 1 activity
- Host annual fundraising event "An Evening of Magic"Hosts an annual fundraising event titled "An Evening of Magic," featuring performer David Schwartz, to support foundation programs.
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Children's Book Distribution Programs 1 activity
- Provide books to pediatric cancer patientsSupplies new, age-appropriate books to children with cancer through a partnership with Scholastic Books, allowing patients to select and keep books for comfort and engagement during treatment.
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Cancer Patient Financial and Practical Support 1 activity
- Provide financial and material assistance to families of children with cancerOffers direct financial aid and material support to families, including supermarket gift cards, transportation assistance, meals, prescriptions, utilities, and funeral expenses, coordinated through pediatric oncology social workers and child life specialists via a referral-based process.
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Who runs it
- ANNE W SAFRATH — DIRECTOR
- JAMES M WEIPPERT — ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
- LORI Z APPICE — DIRECTOR
- MARISSA Y WEIPPERT — DIRECTOR
- MATTHEW J WEIPPERT — DIRECTOR
- RICHARD W SAFRATH — DIRECTOR
Who they work with
- Advent Health For Children Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children / Orlando Health Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Brad Schneider Government — U.S. Representative who co-introduced the Bereavement Act (H.R. 8207) in support of the foundation’s advocacy.
- Brian Fitzpatrick Government — U.S. Representative who co-introduced the Bereavement Act (H.R. 8207) in support of the foundation’s advocacy.
- Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) Partner — Featured as a resource for childhood cancer treatment
- Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Cohen Children’s Medical Center Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Congress Government — Engaged in advocacy efforts resulting in the introduction of H.R. 8207, the “Parental Bereavement Act of 2026”, in Congress.
- Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Cure 4 The Kids Foundation Childhood Cancer & Rare Disease Center Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Farley-Kluger Initiative Partner — Collaborates with the Farley-Kluger Initiative to advocate for amendments to the Family and Medical Leave Act.
- Friends of Karen Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Gabe's Chemo Duck Partner — Sponsors the Gabe's Chemo Duck program to support pediatric cancer patients.
- Golisano Children's Hospital Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health / Jersey Shore UMC Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Hackensack University Medical Center Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Hicksville Chamber of Commerce Partner — Sponsor of The Sarah Grace Foundation, linked from the sponsors page.
- Kaiser Permanente Oakland Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- MSCH of NY – Presbyterian NYU Langone Cancer Center for Kids Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- MSK Cancer Center Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Maimonides Children’s Hospital Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Mount Sinai Medical Center Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- NYU Langone Cancer Center for Kids Mineola Partner — Featured as a resource for childhood cancer treatment
- Nassau University Medical Center Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
- Ray Leventhal Clothing Partner — Hosts collection site for the foundation's school supply drive in Plainview, NY.
- Sarah's Angels Partner — Volunteer team that delivers toys, games, crafts, school supplies, books, and programs to children with cancer through The Sarah Grace Foundation.
- Sarah’s Angels Partner — Team of volunteers or affiliated individuals who support the foundation's mission and activities.
- Scholastic Books Partner — Strategic literacy partner providing age-appropriate books for the Sarah Grace Book Angels program.
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Partner — Collaborates with the Foundation through pediatric social workers and child life specialists to identify needs of children with cancer and their families.
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Clinically Integrated Needs Assessment and Deliverymethodology: clinically-integrated volunteer deliveryBy partnering with hospital-based social workers and child life specialists to identify needs and deliver services, the organization ensures timely, appropriate support that reduces family burden, because clinical integration increases referral accuracy, trust, and alignment with medical care timelines.
- Family-Centered Support Systemmethodology: family-centered_supportBy extending psychosocial and practical support to siblings and caregivers alongside the pediatric patient, the organization improves overall family resilience and patient quality of life, because childhood cancer disrupts the entire family system and sustained well-being requires addressing collective needs.
- Lived Experience-Informed Care Modelmethodology: lived-experience-informed-careBy grounding program design and service delivery in the founders’ and leaders’ personal experiences with childhood cancer and loss, the organization creates empathy-driven, peer-supported care that better anticipates family needs, because shared lived experience increases relevance, trust, and responsiveness in support services.
- Normalization Through Personalized Joy and Learningmethodology: childhood-normalizationBy focusing on joy, play, and education during treatment, the organization helps children preserve a sense of childhood identity beyond being a patient, because maintaining developmental and emotional normalcy improves psychological resilience and treatment experience.
- Therapeutic Play and Expressive Arts Integrationmethodology: therapeutic_playBy using medically informed play (e.g., toy ducks) and narrative-based art therapy (e.g., bead crafting), the organization reduces treatment-related anxiety and supports emotional processing in children, because structured creative engagement helps demystify medical experiences and gives children agency in their healing journey.