Creating hope, joy, and connection for families battling childhood cancer.
Ukandu provides year-round, wraparound support for life outside the hospital, 100% free of charge.
Find Your Path
Whether you are learning about Ukandu, looking for family support, ready to give, or interested in volunteering, start here.
Who We Are
Learn why Ukandu exists and how our community supports families impacted by childhood and adolescent cancer.
What We Do
Explore year-round programs, camps, and support created for children, teens, and families.
Give
Help make free programs, support, connection, and community possible for Ukandu families.
Volunteer
Bring your compassion and skills to a community where every volunteer helps families feel welcome.
Bring the Entire Family to The Loft
The Loft is Ukandu’s free, year-round resource center where families impacted by childhood and adolescent cancer can find hope, joy, connection, and comprehensive support.
Coming Up at Ukandu
The next programs, events, and volunteer opportunities across Ukandu.
1700+
Families served since 1986
87%
of participants report an increased sense of hope after attending Ukandu programs
200+
Volunteers make our residential camp programs and other year-round offerings possible
7,500+
individual program participants since 1986
85%
of first-time volunteers return for a second year
93%
of eligible participants return for multiple programs
The latest from Ukandu
Read the latest stories about the impact of our work.
Welcome to Holland
Years ago, Emily Perl Kingsley wrote Welcome to Holland, an essay about preparing for one journey only to discover that life has taken you somewhere entirely different. You planned for Italy. You imagined what it would look like. You prepared for it. You pictured the places you would go and the experiences you would have. And then the plane lands somewhere else.
I have thought about that metaphor many times over the years while sitting with families whose lives have been changed by childhood cancer.
The Audacity of The Loft
As I walked through The Loft surrounded by families, friends, partners, supporters, and people who have helped imagine this place into existence, I was struck by something one of our parents, Julia Thompson, said in remarks to commemorate the day:
The audacity.
The audacity of Ukandu to believe families affected by childhood cancer deserve something this extraordinary.
More to the Story than 85%
Throughout Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re sharing stories about what childhood cancer asks of children and families—not only during treatment, but long after it ends.
This week, we turn to what comes after treatment—and why the word “survivor”, while worthy of celebration, doesn’t always tell the whole story.