Help Fuel the Holidays

By Lori Butterworth, Founder and Executive Director Jacobs Heart

I went to fill my gas tank and was struck with sadness, knowing that the sudden increase in prices from the new gas tax will be devastating for children with cancer and their families.

It’s already exhausting and expensive for parents to drive a child with cancer back and forth to treatment in Palo Alto and San Francisco. These price hikes make it even harder.

Right now, Jacob’s Heart is providing comprehensive support to 327 children and 1,418 of their family members. Because of lost wages from caring for a seriously ill child, the majority are living at or below the poverty level.

As the holidays approach, let’s do something extraordinary. Let’s fill each family’s gas tank and provide rides to families who don’t own a reliable vehicle. Together, let’s make sure every child gets to treatment, and no one misses a medical appointment.

Here’s what you can do:

• Make a donation and we’ll give a pre-paid gas card directly to a family. (We give gas cards of $25 and $50 and provide rides to treatment for families without a reliable vehicle.)
• Next time you go to the gas station, remember a child with cancer and purchase pre-paid gas card(s). Deliver or mail the cards to the Jacob’s Heart Family Center: 680 West Beach Street, Watsonville CA 95076, and we’ll get them directly to families.
• Go online and purchase a pre-paid gas card. Send it to us either online or by mail. (If you use Amazon, remember to go to Amazon Smiles and select Jacob’s Heart! Hint: Safeway gift cards can be used for either gas or groceries.)

Let’s fill tanks with gas … and love.