We get a lot of requests to post events on www.familyfuncalgary.com, which is great; we love hearing about and sharing some of the smaller, community based events that don’t get much exposure. Other requests are for charitable events that are extremely worthwhile but not exactly fun family events. While we have included information on events such as this in the past, we are getting overwhelmed with requests, and unfortunately cannot fulfill them all.

But we still want to help.  Most of the people who visit this site are parents, and the majority are women and mothers. Our hearts want to reach out and help people in need, but our circumstance do not always allow us. So in order to help these organizations and causes in whatever small way we can, here are some small charities and causes that we support or have approached us for support. We hope you will also take the time to learn a bit more about them and support them in any way you can.

Mito Canada – www.mitocanada.org
We have a personal connection to MitoCanada as a family friend is one of the founders and has a son affected by mitochondrial disease. MitoCanada was formed by a group of mitochondrial disease patients, families, caregivers, and friends, with support from dedicated medical professionals, to provide support and practical information that will help to improve the quality of life and sense of community for patients of all ages, and their families.

Alexander’s Questwww.alexandersquest.ca
Childhood cancer is the number one disease killing children from age six months to young adulthood, more than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and AIDS combined. Alexander’s Quest was started by a mother who lost her 2 year old son to brain cancer. This organization’s mission is to grant ‘little wishes’ to children with cancer by bringing special treats on a weekly basis to children while they undergo treatment.

Made by Mommawww.madebymomma.org
Made by Momma is a Calgary-area volunteer group providing wholesome nourishment and nurturing care to mothers and young children in their times of need. Essentially they act as that extended family of mothers, grandmothers and aunts which used to exist when families lived close together in tight knit communities. They come watch your baby so you can take a nap or clean the house, bring a healthy home made meal, and talk to you so you feel less alone. This is a community of women helping women who just need a break and have no one else to turn to. A fabulous grassroots organization with a simple goal and excellent implementation. You can help Made By Momma simply by making an extra meal for their freezer, donating maternity or children’s clothes, or volunteering some time.

Healing Anayahttp://healinganaya.blogspot.com/
Breastmilk banking has been an extremely sensitive, polarizing and explosive topic. You may recall about a year or so ago this story was in the news; a mother from Nelson was at the hospital in Calgary for treatment for her daughters terminal disease. In her words: “I’m looking for breast milk donations for my daughter Anaya. She is terminally ill with Krabbe Leukodystrophy. We were told to expect her to die at 13 months. She is now 18 months old thanks to breast milk! She does not tolerate formula. Please, please help me keep my baby alive.” Healing Anaya is her blog and story and has information about breastmilk donations.