On December 19, 2023, Barbara A. Tahhan-Petrella passed away after a long struggle with cancer. Barbara was an important figure in gh team member, Ciara's, life - mother to her longtime partner, Jenna, and "Glama" to Sky and Moose, their two dogs. In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations be made in Barbara's name to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Dear Jack Foundation. We were not familiar with the Dear Jack Foundation and after learning more about their work providing impactful programs benefiting adolescents and young adults (AYA) diagnosed with cancer and their families to improve their quality of life from treatment to survivorship, we knew we had to include them in our We Care Wednesday initiative.
This February as we celebrate love and our loved ones, we pay tribute to Barbara, her family who navigated all the treatments and unknowns with her, and our coworker, Ciara, who continued to find time to create over the course of last year. Like all our WCW initiatives, we'll be donating 5% of all our Wednesday sales (online and instore) for the month to this essential nonprofit. Founded in 2006, the Dear Jack Foundation has served hundreds of young adult cancer patients and survivors through programs that provide support and community to a demographic far too often forgotten.
As always we ask that you consider making a direct donation.
Attend a virtual card-making party and write Letters of Love to Dear Jack’s LifeList participants.
*Since launching the We Care Wednesday initiative in January 2017 we have donated over $85,215 to a variety of nonprofits and mutual aid funds doing essential work in our community as well as other places. From the Mayor's Disaster Fund to BAGLY to Abortion Access Front and Material Aid and Advocacy. We select organizations that we feel represent not only our commitment to a better, more equitable world but also our desire to "do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."