Packages of Hope

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Want to give the gift of Christmas love this summer to kids in need?

Mikayla Vickers certainly does, and she hopes you do, too.

Vickers created a program called Packages of Hope several years ago to send care packages to children with cancer.

Her first program, called Christmas in July, paired her with a boy named Mathias. After sending a package of toys to him, she received photos and a thank-you note.

“I saw how he loved the toys and how grateful his mom was,” says Vickers.

Vickers continued the Christmas in July program for two more years before she established her own page on Facebook last year, called Packages of Hope. Vickers’ mother helps her assemble and ship packages of toys to children locally and across the nation.

Vickers will travel to Memphis this June to deliver gifts to children.

You can help, too.

“People can get involved by spreading the word,” Vickers says. “More people need to know that childhood cancer is not rare.”

Vickers is accepting donations to fill packages, and will hold an auction on her Facebook page to raise money to purchase more toys.

“I want to be the voice for these kids,” she says. “They are the strongest people you will ever meet; they go through so much but they still manage to smile through it all.”

Vickers is also gearing up to promote childhood cancer month in September. You can check out her Facebook page by searching for Packages of Hope.

 

–Scott Klepach, Jr.

Filed under From the Mag