Youth-Led Nonprofit Issues Call for Donations to Stock Back-to-School Buggy for Hospitalized Children

BEL AIR, Md. — For most children, the back-to-school season is a milestone filled with the excitement of picking out a fresh backpack, choosing the perfect folders, and unboxing brand-new markers. But for children spending their days in a hospital bed or clinic chair, that excitement can feel worlds away.

To bring that joy directly to young patients, the youth-led nonprofit We Cancerve Movement, Inc. is issuing an urgent call for donations from community organizations, businesses, faith-based groups, and individuals. Collected items will stock the organization’s signature "Back-to-School Buggy" before it deploys to pediatric patients at Baltimore's Sinai Hospital the first of week August.

First launched in 2024, the Back-to-School Buggy is a vibrant, custom-wheeled mobile cart packed with drawers of brand-new school supplies. The project was inspired by a Harford Community College nursing instructor, and is designed as a joyful solution to bring the traditional school shopping experience right to the hospital bedside. Instead of missing out on the anticipation of a new school year, young patients get to become shoppers. Every single item on the cart is 100 percent free.

The initiative is operated entirely by We Cancerve’s dedicated youth team, who wheel the buggy through hospital hallways to bring choice, dignity, and a sense of normalcy to children facing serious medical battles. During the early August visit, the youth team will personally visit children admitted to the inpatient hospital, as well as young patients receiving specialized treatments in the pediatric hematology and oncology clinic.

"When a child is fighting a serious illness, so much of their control is stripped away," said We Cancerve Founder Grace Callwood, 21, a Howard University rising senior. “The Back-to-School Buggy gives that power back. Choosing their own favorite color of notebook or pack of pens reminds them that they are still students, and their education and futures are waiting for them. We are asking community groups to help us keep these drawers overflowing."

Because the donations will be distributed to hospitalized and immunocompromised children, all contributed supplies must be entirely brand new and unused.

The Buggy serves students across all grade levels (K-12). High-priority items requested for the collection drive include:

• Elementary School (K-5): Thick crayons, washable markers, primary composition notebooks, glue sticks, and pocket folders.
• Middle School (6-8): Colored pencils, spiral notebooks, highlighters, standard erasers, and zippered pencil pouches.
• High School (9-12): Blue and black ink pens, college-ruled filler paper, three-ring binders, index cards, and pocket calculators.

Community groups, civic clubs, and businesses interested in organizing supply drives or coordinating a drop-off are encouraged to contact We Cancerve immediately to ensure all items are received and processed by the youth team before July 31.

For drop-off locations, donation guidelines, or to make a financial contribution toward restocking the cart, please visit the official website at wecancerve.org or email the team at peoplewhocare@wecancerve.org.

About We Cancerve Movement, Inc.: Founded in 2012 by Grace Callwood, a pediatric cancer survivor, We Cancerve Movement, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led by an all-youth board of advisors ages 8 to 18. Based in Maryland, the organization is dedicated to creating swift solutions to bring happiness, hope, and urgent resources to children who are homeless, sick, or in foster care, driven by the belief that "happiness shouldn't have to wait."