Throughout Alli’s personal journey for her cancer treatment, a seven-year ordeal, she never felt sorry for herself. Pity moments were few and far between. Alli fought a strong fight, a fight that every young adult with cancer is fighting now. Alli never had to fight alone, family support was always there.

However, Alli knew that so support was essential to a strong fight and she had to be at the helm of a charity that supported these young adults. Unfortunately, seven weeks after the launch of Alli’s Journey, on June 1, 2006, Alli passed away.

Seventeen years later, the Board of Directors, volunteers, donors and sponsors alike keep Alli’s support of young adults with cancer alive.

We are concentrating our fund-raising initiatives on two programs:

• Began in 2014 – Comfort Bag Initiative: To date, we continue to raise money and distribute Comfort Bags for the young adult cancer (18-35) population.  We are working with the AYA programme (Adolescent and Young Adult) based out of Princess Margaret Hospital. We are honored to lend our support to three hospitals, Princess Margaret, Sunnybrook and Southlake. We will add more hospitals as AYA expands.
• Began in 2023 – The AYA Art Therapy Program.  We are pleased to announce a new initiative in support of young adults with cancer: Mindfulness Based Art Therapy in conjunction with Adolescent and Young Adult program (AYA). Mindfulness based art therapy combines mindfulness practices and the creative process in a group session with the support of a certified art therapist.

We deliver approximately 250 bags per year, and now that we are expanding our hospitals we need to raise more money. Please take the time and push the “DONATE” button, every donation you make goes directly to the purchase of what we need. Our administration’s costs are minimal, the Board of Directors does everything. We have no staff. We are a Board with five members, so we must depend on our past, current and future donors.

Our Comfort Bags are only $25.00 each and the Art Therapy Program donation is $50.00 per person for one session, all with a charitable receipt given. We hope that you take the opportunity to buy a bag or two to honour a loved one, in testimony or memory. Please look at the items we need for our bags, and if you can help us with an in-kind donation, terrific!

Times are still challenging, and we know that this year is going to remain to be a difficult one, but we cannot give up. Young adult cancer is not giving up. We are determined to lend our support for those in need.

All the best,

Pamela Shainhouse, President

The post 2023 President’s Letter appeared first on Alli's Journey.

Although we’ve remained fairly quiet across our community during the pandemic, we have continued diligently supporting young adult (18-39) cancer patients directly through the Adolescent Young Adult (AYA) program at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and have delivered several batches of Comfort Bags throughout the lockdowns. In so doing, we remain steadfast in our support of these patients, ensuring that they receive the items they need as they begin their treatments.

Looking ahead to 2022, we are hopeful that we approach the endemic phase and are able to re-engage with you all more directly, via events and other opportunities to actively be part of our fundraising and patient-impact community. Until then, and especially during these volatile holidays, we ask you to spare a thought for these young adult cancer patients and if you are able, be generous by donating for next year’s Comfort Bags at www.allisjourney.ca.

We look forward to seeing you (hopefully) in the spring. Have a wonderful and safe holiday and a happy and healthy 2022.

Our very best,

Alli’s Journey Board of Directors

(Pam Shainhouse, Jordan Shapiro, Albert La Penna, Sam Allemang and Anna Khan)

The post 2021 Year-End Letter appeared first on Alli's Journey.

The post Alli’s Journey movie night fundraiser: Join Us! appeared first on Alli's Journey.

Thank you for making our Improv Night a huge success!

A sell-out audience joined Alli’s Journey at the Second City John Candy Box Theatre for our improv night fundraiser and was treated to a night of endless laughs. With your support, we raised over $1,000, which will allow us to produce dozens and dozens of new Comfort Bags.

Thank you to the Second City for donating the venue, Sam Polito (tech), Nicole Biblow (musical accompaniment), and our amazing performers Connor Thompson, Alastair Forbes, Nicole Passmore, Jillian Welsh (who filled in at the last minute!), and Sam Roulston (who also assembled the cast!).

Stay tuned for our next event by following us on Facebook!

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The post Improv Night: Over $1,000 raised! appeared first on Alli's Journey.

Always exciting to build and deliver more Comfort Bags.

Thanks to all of your donations and continued support!

The post Another batch of Comfort Bags! appeared first on Alli's Journey.

UPDATE: We have since delivered 38 of these bags: 12 to Gilda’s Club, 25 to Princess Margaret Hospital, and 1 to an individual.

Our latest bags feature colouring books and pencil crayons, headphones, neck pillows, blankets, skin cream donated by an eco-friendly cosmetic company, Burt’s Bees balm, and other helpful items for young adults experiencing cancer treatment.

Your support through donations and attendance of our movie nights, as well as the support of our Comfort Bags sponsor, Scotiabank, make these Comfort Bags possible. Thank you!

The post Comfort Bag Delivery appeared first on Alli's Journey.

Alli’s Journey will be screening Masterminds as a fundraising initiative for our Comfort Bags project. Get tickets now.

The post Masterminds: “One of the silliest robberies in American history.” appeared first on Alli's Journey.