September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and in Houston, a new chapter of collaboration is underway. Twenty-one local nonprofits have come together to form the Childhood Cancer Leadership Alliance of Houston, a united effort to better serve kids and families fighting cancer.
For those facing childhood cancer, community is everything. Each of these organizations has its own story, programs, and strengths. But they all share the same mission: to walk alongside families in the fight and to make sure no child battles cancer alone.
One mission, many voices
The alliance represents the full spectrum of support families need. Some organizations focus on research and funding for better treatments, like Addi’s Faith Foundation, Mothers Against Cancer, Sky High for Kids, and Turn It Gold. Others meet families where they are, offering emotional and practical help through groups like Candlelighters, B.I.G. Love Cancer Care, Chance for Hope, and His Grace Foundation.
There are nonprofits dedicated to restoring childhood joy, including Camp H Town, Sunshine Kids, and Periwinkle Foundation, while groups like Cancer Kiss My Cooley and Snowdrop Foundation create moments and memories that last a lifetime.
Support also comes in the form of a safe place to stay, thanks to Ronald McDonald House Greater Houston, or a reliable ride to treatment through Dream Rydes. Organizations like Dan’s House of Hope and The Keyes Ingredients provide healing meals, housing, and community for young adults and families navigating long hospital stays. Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast, The Faris Foundation, and Rainbows for Rhea bring joy through creativity, care packages, and unforgettable experiences. And Ethan’s Ohana reminds families they are not forgotten, brightening hospital rooms with something as simple as a Rubik’s Cube.
Each group has a different focus, but together they are stronger. By uniting, these 21 nonprofits can amplify their impact, avoid duplication, and create a louder voice for kids who need it most. The alliance meets four times a year, bringing in guest speakers who include doctors, researchers, fundraising experts, and others who can share valuable insight. These gatherings are a chance to learn from one another and walk away with ideas that help us serve families better. It is about finding ways to build on each other’s strengths instead of working separately.
Working together also opens doors that would be harder to reach alone. It gives us the chance to team up on events, share volunteers, and look for new ways to partner so that families feel the benefit of all our efforts combined. Each nonprofit in the alliance will also have a resource page on its website that points families to the others. That way, parents can quickly find help they may not have even known was available.
And when a need comes up, we can lean on each other. If one group learns about a family struggling with meals or parking expenses, they can reach out across the alliance to see who can step in. No one has to carry the load alone, not the families and not the nonprofits.
This is the power of coming together. No single organization can do it all, but when we work side by side, families experience the support of an entire community, not just one nonprofit at a time.
Why it matters
Houston is home to the largest medical center in the world, with Children’s Memorial Hermann, MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital, and Texas Children’s Hospital all providing world-class care. Families travel here from across the country and around the globe in search of answers and hope. That makes Houston not just a city that treats childhood cancer, but a city that carries the responsibility to surround those families with community and support.
The Childhood Cancer Leadership Alliance of Houston brings together nonprofits that understand this calling. By working side by side, they are building a model of collaboration that can inspire other communities to follow. This is about making sure every family who comes to Houston for treatment also finds a network of care, compassion, and strength waiting for them.
Core values of the Childhood Cancer Leadership Alliance of Houston
The alliance is built on shared values that guide every effort:
Passion: a relentless drive to support children and families facing cancer
Integrity: acting with honesty, transparency, and accountability
Collaboration: working together to maximize impact and avoid duplication
Innovation: finding new ways to meet the needs of families and advance research
Community: standing alongside families so they never feel alone in the fight
Trust: earning and keeping the confidence of the families served and the partners involved
A call to action
September is the month when gold ribbons pop up everywhere. But awareness is just the beginning. True change happens when awareness leads to action. Volunteer. Donate. Share a story. Reach out to a family. Stand with us.
Because childhood cancer does not fight fair. In Houston, we are united, and we fight as one.