If you or your child has a cancer diagnosis and you need childcare in the Greater Hamilton Area of Ontario, Olive Us Care can help.
This new non-profit can provide up to 10 hours per month of free in-home childcare for children under 12 years of age.
Olive Us Care matches childcare volunteers with families. The volunteers undergo training and must have first aid certification as well as a valid police check. The families and volunteers are matched according to needs and common interests.
Executive Director Melissa Fleischman founded the non-profit this year when she saw the need. “There are so many resources and programs for people with cancer but nothing for parents in terms of childcare. It’s baffling,” she says.
Being able to give back to the community in these two areas is so important to me. - Melissa Fleischman, ED
Melissa says she has had an “overwhelming response” from both volunteers and client families. “We have two dozen interested volunteers and several families going through the qualification process.”
Olive Us Care is named for Melissa’s grandmother, Olive Brewer, who received a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 80 and was determined to fight the illness. When doctors suggested that she didn’t need treatment because of her age, she insisted on a mastectomy.
Melissa finds her work extremely rewarding. “I was a nanny for many years and I loved it. Then there was my grandmother’s experience with cancer. Being able to give back to the community in these two areas is so important to me.”
If you are interested in receiving help from Olive Us Care or would like to volunteer, visit www.oliveuscare.com.
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