Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services exists to improve the quality of life for children with cancer by supporting their families in the challenges they face. Since 1998, we have provided comprehensive emotional, practical, financial, and peer support to hundreds of children with cancer and thousands of their family members, and family-centered grief support to bereaved families.
Families facing childhood cancer already carry unimaginable stress and no parent should have to choose between treatment and nutrition.
Jacob’s Heart’s Full Hearts grocery program delivers fresh, nutritious food directly to the doorsteps of Monterey County families caring for a seriously ill child. But the rising cost of living and recent cuts to food bank resources have made basic, high-protein staples like eggs and chicken harder to come by, and more expensive to purchase than ever.
Your gift through Monterey County Gives! will help us close that gap, ensuring children receive the nutrient-dense, medically necessary food they need to heal well, grow strong, and feel supported. Together, we can put food in the fridge, comfort on the table, and hope in the hearts of families who need it most.
Jacob’s Heart serves a unique sector of Monterey County’s population (families of children with cancer). But what sets us apart is the fact that our services are available to the entire family without restrictions - including anyone that they say is family. We support family members of all ages as they navigate a pediatric cancer diagnosis, no matter the outcome.
Monterey is the largest county we serve, with 217 families (1,003 individuals) living within the Monterey Peninsula (97), Salinas Valley (523), South Monterey County (291), and North Monterey County (92).
The majority of Jacob’s Heart children come from low-income homes with high levels of unmet basic needs. 100% are impacted by pediatric cancer, 80% are living at or below the poverty line, and 84% are Latino or multi-racial. We have 27 years of experience serving Monterey County with integrated programs aligned with best practices and standards of care.
The biggest impact the grocery program has had on my family is the incredible support we’ve received. Going through such a difficult time with my son, both emotionally and financially, would have been so much harder without this program. From the very beginning, Jacob’s Heart was there for us. Even when we were at Stanford, they made sure we still felt supported. The groceries helped in more ways than one. It wasn’t just about food; it was about feeling seen, cared for, and not alone. I’ll never forget the day our Family Support Specialist, Mariela, came to visit. Her presence, her words, and the reassurance that we could always count on Jacob’s Heart truly gave us hope again. It meant the world to us.
- Conception Jimenez, Monterey County
