Amber Mehr

Employer Service Project

Angel Foundation Kid’s Night In

On August 2, 2018, I participated in a service project with the Angel Foundation that was
setup through my clinical site, the St. Paul Cancer Center. The event was called a Kid’s night
in/Parent’s night out. It took place from 4:45pm – 7:15 pm and at a clubhouse apartment
complex’s pool. The event was focused on supporting children whose parents were battling
cancer. This event was particularly special because both the parents and the kids hung out by and
within the pool.

When I first arrived at the event, I checked in with Emily who was in charge. I helped
with setup by carrying in coolers and supplies. We arranged a table of food for the kids and
parents that would be coming and made sure the gate to the pool would be open for all guests.
We then waited for the arrival of the families. Once the families arrived, I participated in
supervising and talking with the children as they swam in the pool. At first, I was shy and was
not as talkative as I should have been with everyone at the event. As I got comfortable, I started
to talk to the kids, sharing jokes and riddles. I assisted Emily with any task she needed during the
event and made sure I was available to everyone if they needed help. It was great to see how the
Angel Foundation brings smiles to these families with fun events that draw the community
together. At 7:15 pm, I assisted Emily with the cleanup of the pool. I brought all the materials
back to her car and made sure that everything was in order.

This service project meant a lot to me as a future medical dosimetrist because it showed
me different events that are available to future patients I will be helping treat. I had heard of
events like this, but I had never seen the impact firsthand. Emily who worked with the Angel
Foundation full time forms bonds with the children and parents and becomes a critical resource. I
enjoyed seeing that when people are fighting cancer that there are communities that help not only
them but their families. The Angel Foundation serves as a great service for kids because they can
meet other children going through the same hardships at home and it provides them a place to
learn more about cancer treatments as well as learn new coping methods.
 If I were to volunteer again, I would make sure that I engage more with both the parents
and the kids. When I was communicating with them I heard more about their personal
experiences. This gave me a more detailed look into what future patients and their families go
through during radiation treatments.

Link to Angel Foundation:

https://mnangel.org/about/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn5nt6Nre3AIVBL7ACh3oRgBQEAAYASAA
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Figure 1. Email Confirmation

Figure 2. Pool where the event took place