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.

Help us support families navigate life outside the hospital walls

Pediatric cancer care has grown leaps and bounds, but support for everything beyond medical treatment has lagged far behind. That’s where Ukandu comes in.

With a $2,000 Donation you can send one child to Camp Ukandu.

Bring the Entire Family to The Loft

Our new community space, less than 15 minutes from both major children’s hospitals in Portland, provides families with a consistent, welcoming environment to connect, heal, and grow – free from the emotional weight of the hospital setting.

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

Upcoming Programs

Ukandu offers a full suite of medically informed, year-round programs for patients, survivors, siblings, and caregivers who have been impacted by a childhood cancer diagnosis. All our programs are 100% free of charge, 100% of the time. Learn more about all Ukandu programs here.

Get Involved

Join our community and make a difference!
There are several ways you can get involved and support our mission.

The latest from Ukandu

Read the latest stories about the impact of our work.

More Than Medicine

Joel Lampert, PsyD |

03/19/2026

We’re proud to introduce More Than Medicine, a blog series created and curated by our Clinical Director, Dr. Joel Lampert, PsyD. This series reflects the heart of our work and a simple truth we see every day: healing from childhood cancer takes more than medical treatment alone. It requires community, support, and moments of joy. Because medicine treats cancer. But healing takes more than medicine.

The Case for Parent Programs

01/12/2024

We have long believed that a childhood cancer diagnosis impacts the entire family. And while the impulse is, understandably, to focus attention on the patient or survivor, parents and siblings face their own hardships that are often ignored or misunderstood.

An Update on The Loft

01/06/2026

2026 marks Ukandu’s 40th anniversary. It will also mark the largest expansion in Ukandu programming, with the opening of The Ukandu Loft, which will serve as Ukandu’s headquarters and a welcoming hub for families impacted by childhood cancer.