Schools and community groups have an incredible ability to bring people together.
They help teach compassion, encourage service, build connections, and show children and adults that even small actions can create meaningful change.
For the Glen Adnam Cancer Comfort Basket Foundation, schools, youth groups, sports teams, churches, service clubs, and community organizations can all play an important role in supporting cancer patients, caregivers, children, grieving families, and healthcare teams.
Getting involved does not need to be complicated.
One classroom, one team, or one group can make a real difference.
Why Community Involvement Matters
Cancer affects families in communities of every size.
A student may have a parent going through treatment.
A teacher may be supporting a loved one.
A coach, neighbour, volunteer, or community member may be facing cancer themselves.
When schools and groups become involved, they create practical support while also reminding local families that they have not been forgotten.
Community projects can help turn empathy into action.
Organize a Comfort Basket Donation Drive
One of the most direct ways to help is by collecting approved comfort basket items.
A school or group could focus on a specific category, such as:
- Soft blankets
- Cozy socks
- Journals
- Colouring books
- Activity supplies
- Reusable water bottles
- Fragrance-free lip balm
- Sealed snacks
- Gift cards
- Tote bags
The foundation can provide a clear wish list so participants know which items are needed and which items cannot be accepted.
Having a focused theme often makes a donation drive easier to organize.
Create Encouragement Cards
Handwritten cards can become one of the most meaningful parts of a comfort basket.
Students and community members can create simple messages such as:
“We are thinking of you.”
“You are not alone.”
“Your community cares about you.”
“This basket was made with care for you.”
“No reply is needed. We simply wanted you to know you are remembered.”
Cards should avoid medical promises, advice, pressure to stay positive, or assumptions about someone’s beliefs.
The goal is to provide gentle encouragement without minimizing what the person is facing.
Host a Kindness Challenge
A school or community group could organize a kindness challenge in support of the foundation.
Participants might be encouraged to complete one act of kindness, such as:
- Helping a neighbour
- Bringing someone a meal
- Writing an encouraging note
- Donating a comfort item
- Checking in with a caregiver
- Helping with a household task
- Thanking a healthcare worker
- Supporting a grieving family
The challenge can teach that kindness does not need to be expensive or public to matter.
Hold a Themed Collection Week
A themed week can make collecting donations more engaging.
For example:
Cozy Monday
Collect blankets, socks, or soft comfort items.
Writing Tuesday
Collect journals, notebooks, pens, or colouring supplies.
Wellness Wednesday
Collect approved fragrance-free personal-care items.
Thoughtful Thursday
Create cards and messages of encouragement.
Gift Card Friday
Collect gas, grocery, restaurant, coffee, or bookstore gift cards.
A themed week can help students and families understand how different items support recipients.
Organize a Fundraiser
Schools and community groups can raise funds to sponsor comfort baskets or foundation programs.
Fundraising ideas may include:
- Bake sales
- Casual dress days
- School spirit days
- Bottle drives
- Walkathons
- Readathons
- Craft sales
- Community suppers
- Silent auctions
- Sports challenges
- Coin collections
- Charity games
- Online campaigns
All fundraising activities should follow school, organizational, municipal, and provincial rules.
The amount raised matters less than the community coming together around the mission.
Sponsor a Basket as a Class or Team
A classroom, sports team, club, or workplace group may choose to sponsor one complete basket.
They could select a basket type, such as:
- Adult cancer support
- Pediatric comfort
- Caregiver support
- Memorial support
- Healthcare appreciation
Each participant might contribute one approved item or a small amount toward the basket.
This allows the group to see how many small contributions can become one meaningful gift.
Help Pack Baskets
Older students, youth groups, and adult community organizations may be able to participate in supervised packing events.
They could help with:
- Sorting donated items
- Checking supply lists
- Organizing books and activities
- Preparing cards
- Assembling simple kits
- Filling approved basket containers
- Counting inventory
- Cleaning up after the event
Volunteers should receive clear instructions about privacy, safety, cleanliness, and appropriate basket contents.
Create Pediatric Activity Kits
Children can help other children by assembling safe, age-appropriate activity kits.
These may include:
- Colouring books
- Washable crayons
- Sticker books
- Drawing pads
- Puzzle books
- Card games
- Bookmarks
- Encouragement cards
All items should be new, easy to clean, and suitable for the intended age group.
Avoid glitter, slime, strongly scented products, or anything difficult to sanitize.
Collect Books for Children and Teenagers
Books can offer comfort, distraction, adventure, and a break from medical routines.
A school library, classroom, or community group could collect new books such as:
- Picture books
- Early-reader books
- Chapter books
- Graphic novels
- Joke books
- Puzzle books
- Journals
- Teen fiction
Books should be new and in excellent condition.
A range of ages and interests helps the foundation create more personalized baskets.
Support Siblings Too
Schools and youth groups can help create small sibling items for families affected by pediatric cancer.
Possible items include:
- Colouring books
- Small games
- Journals
- Books
- Art supplies
- Comfort toys
- Family activities
These items remind siblings that they are also seen and supported.
Recognize Caregivers
Community groups may choose to focus a project specifically on caregivers.
They could collect:
- Travel mugs
- Reusable water bottles
- Portable chargers
- Notebooks
- Snacks
- Cozy socks
- Gas cards
- Coffee cards
- Restaurant cards
- Fragrance-free hand cream
Students or members could also write notes saying:
“We see how much you are carrying.”
“Your well-being matters too.”
“You have not been forgotten.”
Thank Healthcare Teams
Schools and organizations can help create healthcare appreciation projects.
Ideas include:
- Writing thank-you cards
- Creating artwork
- Collecting sealed snacks
- Sponsoring an appreciation basket
- Sharing messages of gratitude
- Recognizing healthcare workers during a special week
Projects should respect healthcare-facility guidelines and should never include private patient information.
Invite the Foundation to Speak
A school, classroom, service club, or community organization could invite a foundation representative to speak about:
- How the mission began
- How cancer affects families
- The importance of supporting caregivers
- The role of comfort baskets
- How rural communities can help
- Respecting privacy and dignity
- Turning kindness into practical action
Educational presentations can help people understand both the heart of the mission and the importance of responsible support.
Connect Learning With Service
Teachers may be able to connect foundation projects with classroom learning.
Students could practise:
- Writing through encouragement cards
- Math through donation counting and budgeting
- Art through card and poster design
- Health education through discussions about emotional support
- Social studies through community service
- Leadership through project planning
- Media studies through responsible awareness campaigns
Service projects can become meaningful learning experiences when they are planned thoughtfully.
Involve Student Leadership Groups
Student councils and leadership groups can help organize:
- Donation drives
- Awareness weeks
- Fundraisers
- Volunteer events
- Card-writing campaigns
- School announcements
- Social media promotions
- Community partnerships
These projects help students build leadership skills while contributing to a meaningful cause.
Involve Sports Teams
Sports teams understand the importance of teamwork and supporting one another.
A team may:
- Host a charity game
- Collect approved basket items
- Sponsor a pediatric basket
- Wear foundation colours during an event
- Organize a kindness challenge
- Volunteer as a group
- Collect gas or grocery cards
- Honour a community member affected by cancer, with permission
The project can reflect the team’s capacity and connection to the cause.
Involve Churches and Faith Communities
Faith communities often have strong volunteer networks and experience supporting families through illness and grief.
They may help with:
- Donation drives
- Meals
- Transportation
- Caregiver support
- Memorial baskets
- Volunteer recruitment
- Event space
- Fundraising
- Community outreach
Support should always respect the beliefs and preferences of recipients.
Faith-based messages or items should only be included when they are appropriate and welcomed.
Involve Service Clubs
Service clubs can offer valuable experience, connections, and resources.
They may provide:
- Financial sponsorship
- Volunteers
- Event coordination
- Transportation
- Community introductions
- Meeting space
- Donation collection
- Printing support
- Rural outreach
Long-term partnerships with service organizations can help the foundation reach more communities consistently.
Involve Agricultural and Rural Groups
Agricultural organizations, farm groups, and rural associations may understand the added challenges families face when travelling for treatment while managing responsibilities at home.
They may help with:
- Farm chores
- Transportation
- Fuel support
- Snow removal
- Meal delivery
- Childcare
- Community collections
- Rural awareness
Practical help at home can make treatment travel much easier for a family.
Create a Memorial Service Project
A school or community group may wish to honour someone lost to cancer through service.
With the family’s permission, the group could:
- Sponsor comfort baskets
- Hold an annual donation drive
- Create a scholarship
- Organize a kindness day
- Collect books or blankets
- Volunteer
- Support healthcare workers
- Raise funds in the person’s memory
The project should reflect the person’s life and values rather than focusing only on their illness.
Participate in Glen Adnam Day
One of the foundation’s long-term goals is to establish an annual Glen Adnam Day across Saskatchewan.
Schools and community groups could eventually participate through:
- Acts of kindness
- Comfort basket drives
- Caregiver appreciation
- Healthcare thank-you projects
- Fundraising
- Memorial activities
- Volunteer service
- Community storytelling
A shared day of kindness could connect communities throughout the province.
Teach Privacy and Dignity
Any project connected to cancer support should protect the people receiving help.
Students and volunteers should understand that they should not ask for or share:
- Names
- Diagnoses
- Addresses
- Treatment details
- Photographs
- Family information
- Private stories
Recipients do not need to be identified for participants to understand that their support matters.
Avoid Using Someone’s Story Without Permission
A group should never use a local patient or family’s experience in posters, announcements, fundraising, or social media without clear consent.
Even when people believe the story will inspire support, the family must remain in control.
Compassion includes respecting privacy.
Keep Projects Inclusive
Not every student or group member will be able to donate money or items.
Projects should provide different ways to participate.
Someone might:
- Write a card
- Help design a poster
- Share information
- Sort supplies
- Volunteer time
- Create artwork
- Help organize
- Perform an act of kindness
No one should feel embarrassed because they cannot make a financial contribution.
Set Clear Donation Guidelines
Before beginning a collection, the foundation and organizing group should agree on:
- Which items are needed
- Whether items must be new
- Which scents or products should be avoided
- Food requirements
- Age restrictions
- Collection dates
- Drop-off locations
- Who will transport donations
- How funds will be handled
Clear expectations help protect both donors and recipients.
Celebrate the Impact Responsibly
After the project, the group may share results such as:
- Number of items collected
- Amount raised
- Number of cards written
- Volunteer hours
- Number or types of baskets sponsored
Impact can be celebrated without revealing recipient identities.
This allows participants to see what they accomplished while protecting privacy.
Start Small
A school or community group does not need to organize a major campaign.
It could begin with:
- One classroom writing cards
- One team collecting socks
- One club sponsoring a basket
- One church collecting gift cards
- One service group volunteering at a packing day
- One community organization sharing the mission
Small projects can grow naturally over time.
Learning the Power of Community
When children and adults participate in service, they learn that helping does not always require having the perfect words or unlimited resources.
It requires care.
It requires listening.
It requires showing up in ways that are useful and respectful.
One item may seem small, but it can become part of a basket.
One card may be read during a difficult day.
One fundraiser may support several families.
One group can inspire another.
Everyone Has Something to Contribute
The Glen Adnam Cancer Comfort Basket Foundation was created to ensure that people affected by cancer feel remembered and supported.
Schools and community groups can help bring that promise to life.
They can teach kindness.
They can build awareness.
They can support caregivers.
They can create comfort for children.
They can help rural families.
They can honour loved ones.
Most importantly, they can show that no one person or organization has to carry the mission alone.
One classroom.
One team.
One club.
One community.
One caring project at a time.
