Top 3 Ways To Help!

The question I get asked more than anything is “How can I help the foundation?” And while I’d like to dance around the truth, the honest answer is “Donate.” We do need volunteers at events and people to attend our fundraisers, but the day-to-day giving goes a long way, too.

The fact is, the work we do is based on giving money away (tough job, right?) During our time at the hospital, we saw a need for more financial assistance to families going through treatment. The ability for us to pay a family’s rent or car payment for a month or two can ease a huge burden for parents. Often, one parent has had to cut back hours or quit work altogether in order to care for their sick child. Unfortunately, in many cases, these families didn’t have much room to work with even with both incomes. We coordinate with the social workers at the hospital to identify these families, what their needs are and then take action.

The other area where we invest our money in is research. If you know our story, you know we went through a number of chemo protocols with no success in defeating the cancer cells that had invaded Layla’s brain. Brilliant scientists are working hard to develop trials that will someday be a cure for children like Layla, but with only 4% of the entire NCI (National Cancer Institute) budget going to pediatric cancer research, it’s up to people like you to help drive the change. It’s been said that this 4% is equal to the amount that Americans spend at Starbucks in just 3 days! When you put it in perspective, it’s easy to see you don’t have to be a millionaire to make a difference with your donations.

Here are a few ways you can help us make a BIG impact even on a small budget:

1. Give monthly

We know that shelling out a big chunk of money at one time isn’t in the budget for most of us, but giving a small amount each month seems much more doable. Set up a reoccurring donation of $25 a month (or more!) We’ve set a goal of helping five families each month which is an estimated $1,000 per family. That means we need 200 people to generously commit to donating $25 each month. Won’t you help us reach that goal by setting up a monthly donation here. Or you can use our text-to-donate system by texting DONATE to 972-842-1015.

2. Create a Facebook fundraiser for your birthday

Who needs another sweater, candle or gift card for their birthday? Unless it’s Starbucks…always say yes to Starbucks gift cards 🙂 Facebook fundraisers are easy to create and allow people to give at a level they feel comfortable with. You can give each person’s donation a “like” or a private message Thank You. Bonus: it also spreads the mission of Layla’s Legacy to all your friends and followers and helps us get the word out. Facebook doesn’t charge a fee either!

3. Give the gift of a donation for birthdays or holidays

Stuck on what to get your Aunt Sally and crazy cousin Janice for their birthdays this year? You never have to worry about buying the wrong size when you give the gift of a donation. Know someone who prefers a little something wrapped up for a special occasion? Layla’s Legacy has super soft t-shirts, hats, pullovers and stemless glasses available for a donation. Or make the donation for someone else and keep the goodies for yourself. Win-win 😉 Check them out here

BONUS – Make it a family event

Studies show that kids who see their parents giving back become adults who do the same, so make it a family affair. Host a lemonade stand, bake sale or even a neighborhood car wash. Every contribution is important, no matter how big or small. The act itself has a ripple effect.

So there you have it. Nothing crazy or fancy, but built up consistently and over time, we will see one small snowflake turn into a giant avalanche of giving!