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hearts4hands

Creativity is a form of courage

Make something for someone who needs it

We are students who draw cards for kids in hospitals, then mail them out. We publish stories from people living with cancer and the people caring for them. And the money we raise buys paper, postage, and cancer research.

Or read a story first

No experience needed. Paper and something colorful is plenty.

The Hearts4Hands bear, waving

Where we are right now

The count so far

Updated by hand, so the numbers here are the ones we can actually stand behind.

  • $0

    Raised so far

  • 0

    Cards made

  • 0

    Volunteers

  • 0

    Hours logged

We are just getting started

Hearts4Hands is new, so those numbers are still zero — and we would rather say that than dress it up. The first card, the first hour, and the first dollar have not happened yet. One of them could be yours. Be the first volunteer or chip in for paper and postage.

Last updated August 10, 2026

What we do

Three things, done carefully

Cards, stories, and research money. That is the whole list, and we would rather do three things well.

  • See how card-making works

    Cards for kids in hospitals

    Volunteers draw and write cards at home, then send us a photo. We get them to children who are in treatment.

  • Read the stories

    Stories worth telling

    Patients, siblings, and caregivers write about what it is actually like. An editor reads every submission before it goes up.

  • See where the money goes

    Money for research

    Donations cover paper, envelopes, and postage, and the rest goes to cancer research. We show the split on the Donate page.

How to help

Three steps, start to finish

No account, no meetings, no minimum. Do it once or do it every week.

  1. 1

    Pick a way to help

    Make a card at your kitchen table, run a bake sale, or write for the blog. Paper and something colorful is enough to start.

  2. 2

    Send a photo, log your hours

    Fill in the volunteer form with what you did and how long it took, and attach a picture of your cards.

  3. 3

    We deliver, your hours count

    Cards go out to kids in hospitals. Your logged hours go toward volunteer awards like the PVSA.

Stories

Written by volunteers

Personal experience, caregiving, and plain-language cancer education. Anyone can send one in.

  • Why we make cards
    Personal experience

    Why we make cards

    A hospital room is a strange place to be a kid. A card is a small, stubborn reminder that the outside world is still thinking about you.

    The Hearts4Hands team ·

  • Notes for the sibling in the waiting room
    Caregiving

    Notes for the sibling in the waiting room

    When someone in your family gets sick, a lot of attention moves. If you're the sibling, here are a few things worth hearing.

    The Hearts4Hands team ·

  • Where cancer research money actually goes
    Cancer education

    Where cancer research money actually goes

    "Funding research" sounds abstract. Here is a plain-language walk through what a donated dollar actually buys.

    The Hearts4Hands team ·

Every dollar has a job

Part of what you give buys the paper, envelopes, and stamps that get a card to a kid. The rest goes to cancer research. We update the totals by hand and show the split.

Where donations go

30%
70%
  • Materials — paper, envelopes, postage
  • Research — granted to cancer research

This is our planned split — the bar updates to the real numbers as donations come in.

Somewhere there is a kid who would love your handwriting

Start with one card. We will show you where to send it and count the hour you spent making it.