Oak Lawn's Michelle Wood Boosts Christmas Without Cancer Efforts

By nature, therapists bring empathy to their practice in order to begin the healing process bringing patients back to full strength.

Empathy factored into therapist Michelle Wood’s decision to help Christmas Without Cancer last year. That it was done in spectacular fashion took pressure off Evergreen Park’s grassroots organization and contributed mightily helping local families facing cancer issues.

Wood, her husband Tom and Renee Copeland summoned a close-knit group of family and friends and coined themselves "Harvesting Hope."

With a goal of topping last year’s totals, the 2nd Annual Harvesting Hope will raise money again for Christmas Without Cancer at Jacob's Well Sunday, November 3, 2019 from 3 until 7 p.m. with the simple premise of inviting community members to enjoy an afternoon of "fun, friends, music, food, drinks and raffle prizes."

In recent years, Christmas Without Cancer founder Gerri Neylon has realized the kindness of others can be a phone call away.

“Michelle Wood was pursuing ways to help us and did so without adding hours to our own volunteers’ schedules,” said Neylon. “When we got to Jacob’s Well we realized these talented people were throwing a festive party to help us help families.”

Wood’s practice in Evergreen Park and home in Oak Lawn brings her in contact with many families. Her “heart ached” for the mounting number of families faced with cancer challenges. The ubiquitous Christmas Without Cancer efforts from Thanksgiving to Christmas" piqued" her interest and hastened her response.

“Each Christmas, my husband Tom and I talked about how we wished we could do more than just give a $30 donation and wondered what we could do,” said Wood.

“I started to notice Christmas Without Cancer and came to appreciate their mission, and I thought, why not try and get something together where we can all give something to this awesome cause.

“Finally, I said let me just contact Gerri and see what she thinks, and put it out there, if it is meant to be, it’s meant to be. So I spoke to Gerri, and Harvesting Hope was born.”

Through Facebook posts Wood connected with Renee Copeland, whose own family was blessed by the efforts of Christmas Without Cancer. A few years earlier the Copeland’s cousin experienced the anguish of dealing with a cancer diagnosis of a young child.

The synergy between Wood and Copeland triggered “amazing ideas” and endless energy to get it right the first time.

“Michelle and I were essentially strangers,” said Copeland. “I saw her Harvesting Hope event on Christmas Without Cancer’s Facebook page and I thought ‘now is my chance’ to help. I sent Michelle a message, we met for coffee, and the rest is history.

Concurrently, Copeland was committee to the Christmas Without Cancer committee.

“Seeing the struggles my cousin went through and now meeting so many wonderful families going through similar experiences drives me to help,” said Copeland. “But it’s also to pay it forward. Families should be able to focus on their treatment and not have to worry about the financial struggle that we see so many facing.”

Wood shared the very sentiment.

"Christmas Without Cancer has been helping a lot more people in recent years so they need more resources to do that,” said Wood. “What they do is really touching, helping whole families in their greatest time of need and at a time it can have the greatest impact on their lives and take stress off the family so they can have Christmas together."

Wood's recruitment effort began at home, first recruiting her husband, from there, Copeland, and “an amazing group of families from Saint Catherine’s Parish”

Last year, Harvesting Hope presented 100 baskets of quality merchandise and experiences. This year will likely be more with overnight stays, family attractions, date nights, airline tickets, etc. Split-the-pot raffle, wine pull, Plinko, Punch a Cup, The Price Is Right games with a variety of prizes, and a liquor wagon raffle.

An added feature this year will be a large autumnal tree to display and honor those loved ones that have died from cancer.

"This has become a beautiful labor of love from and being part of it has been such a joy in my life and shows that there is so much good out in the world,” said Wood.

Christmas Without Cancer comes to the rescue of those impacted by cancer so the family can focus on Christmas. The Evergreen Park volunteer group identifies needs such as utility bills and mortgage payments, gas, parking and children in need of wrapped presents.

Neylon reasons Christmas Without Cancer has been a success because "people know their donations are helping people locally, right now" so the family can focus on the spirit of Christmas.

Jacob's Well is located at 3450 West Maple Street in Evergreen Park, IL. A DJ will provide the dance music from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. Admission is $35 through www.Eventbright.com or $40 at the door.

For more information visit: www.ChristmasWithoutCancer.org