Bridging the Gap to Helping Children and Teens Fighting Cancer

The Bridge Teen Center is giving back to children fighting cancer by donating their time for children and teens to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF).

The Bridge Teen Center is an innovative grassroots nonprofit community center for teenagers located in Orland Park and serving the Chicago Southland area. Their mission is to provide free programs during after-school and unsupervised hours where students can develop mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually in a safe environment.

Bridge Teen Center Program Staff Member Matt Jung said, “It’s great to help kids who are fighting cancer. We want them to feel that they are not fighting alone. We are one family together.” Volunteer Cecilia Cristobal chimed in, “It is hard for kids fighting cancer because it’s not fun and they go through a lot. I want to be helpful.”

POTCF Founder and CEO Colleen Kisel was grateful for their help. “We are thrilled to have the support of the Bridge Teen Center. The volunteer work the Bridge teens performed will help greatly in our effort to provide smiles of joy to thousands of young cancer patients every month. Their contributions have been incredible,” said Ms. Kisel.

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 13,300 young cancer patients in 56 cancer treatment centers in 19 states across the nation. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Colleen Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. Ms. Kisel discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain, noting that when children are diagnosed with cancer their world soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Martin celebrated his 26th anniversary of remission from the disease in March of 2019.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s web site at www.treasurechest.org.