JoyRx Mentorship® fosters trusted companionship to inspire laughter and distraction. The only program of its kind in the nation, our trained, adult volunteer JoyRx Mentors provide emotional support to children in treatment and critical support to parents who endure the hardships of long hospital stays with their child.
A cross between a supportive playmate and trusted listener, JoyRx Mentors bring lightness to a child’s day.
In the hospital, our mentors arrive with bags full of toys, games, and activities to help their young friends laugh and bring a smile, relieve their stress and anxiety, and dispel their feelings of loneliness and isolation. For parents, these visits offer a brief respite, allowing a moment for themselves — they can take a walk, grab some coffee, spend time with their other children, or take an opportunity to step away and breathe. Mentorship matches can last multiple years, and often the bonds of friendship are still strong long after the final treatment.
Since 1999, the program has matched more than 1,500 kids undergoing lengthy treatment regimens with a trained and trusted adult mentor volunteer.
Our award-winning JoyRx Mentorship program facilitates matches to provide children with a caring and trusted adult mentor during treatment. JoyRx Mentorship specialists thoughtfully match kids with their mentors based on hobbies, interests, and parent and child preferences.
Mentor applicants are thoroughly interviewed, screened, and trained before they are approved to be mentors, ensuring the safety and fit for our program and for the families we serve.
To learn more about getting matched with a JoyRx Mentor, you can request a match through the email provided.
Request a Mentorship Match“When Raul was first diagnosed, he was sad all the time. He felt sick, scared, and treatments were frequent and difficult. When he got to meet his JoyRx Mentor, Diego, we could see him starting to show glimmers of looking happy again. Diego’s friendship has been wonderful for Raul and provided him a lot of support, which in turn, provides me a lot of support. This has been intense and difficult for our entire family, so when Raul has Diego to play with and distract him, it’s the help I need, too.”
—Marisol, Raul’s Mom
Help fill our JoyRx Mentorship closet with the most requested toys, games, books, and crafts. Please note: Due to children’s compromised immune systems and sanitary requirements, we can only accept donations of NEW toys.
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and we at JoyRx, the mission delivery of Children’s Cancer Association, are so grateful for our volunteers. We wouldn’t be able to do our healing without the dedication and kindness of our amazing volunteers. To highlight the impact of these supporters, we sat down with Ed Burke, who’s volunteered with… Read more »
Are you looking for a way to volunteer in your community and have a direct impact on families in the hospital setting? During my 15 years at JoyRx, the mission delivery of Children’s Cancer Association, I am amazed every day at the incredible people that walk through our doors and give their time and talents… Read more »
The holiday season can be a source of great Joy for families — and one mother is dedicated to giving back to the community by hosting an annual toy drive for JoyRx Mentorship. Chante and her family collect toys and gift cards for JoyRx-served families each year in memory of her son, Jayden. Jayden was… Read more »