|

Light in the Darkness: TeamMates Reaches Out to Cancer Patients

All of us go through difficulties in our lives, and we know that a bit of light can brighten our perspectives when trudging through darkness.  During the holiday season, TeamMates of Lincoln worked to spread light to cancer patients at the Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center.

Seeing about 200 patients each day, the Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center treats patients at every stage in their fight against cancer.  The star ornaments created by TeamMates mentors and mentees carried encouraging messages and glimmers of hope for these patients. Over 400 stars were delivered for distribution to the Center.  

Each month Lincoln TeamMates partners with a local agency in order to model community engagement and care.  As mentors work with mentees on the monthly projects, opportunities arise to discuss serving those in need.  “We are constantly getting feedback that mentors and mentees love doing service projects together. It gives them a chance to talk about an area of need in our community that might not otherwise come up in their conversations,“ said Stacey Blizek, a TeamMates staffer who assisted in preparing the service projects for mentors and their students.  

Audrey Watson, who partnered with Stacey at the Lincoln TeamMates office to select and organize the service projects for each month agrees.  “Community service projects are a great way for mentors and mentees to talk about being safe, respectful, and responsible citizens, which are values that Lincoln Public Schools are incorporating into their day to day lessons.  It’s also a way for students to have a hands-on experience giving back in the school setting.”

TeamMates would like to thank their corporate sponsor Hudl.  Hudl provided the financial support to purchase the supplies needed for all eight TeamMates service projects offered from September through April to mentor-mentee matches.  Offering light and hope to others while training youth to engage in the community creates a positive ripple that will potentially impact Lincoln far into the future.