We encourage and give hope to children in hard places, working as a team to make life just a little bit brighter.

About Us

Embrace Compassion serves children and families in hard places. We were established in 2010 and remain a grassroots organization. While our reach over the years has been broad, our focus is centered on hope and community for children in cancer treatment and their families. Volunteers make what we do possible and are a vibrant part of our programing.

Our monthly farm experiences for children in cancer treatment and their families, are hosted at the Pearl Street Urban Farm, in Sherwood, Oregon. Kids with cancer and their siblings take a break from trauma, safely play and just be kids. Each month we offer a themed Brighter Box, filled with farm goodness to continue the farm experience at home.

During the week, volunteers help create beautiful spaces, care for the animals, and grow vibrant healthy food. Thousands of pounds of organically grown food is shared each season. Families in cancer treatment and volunteers benefit from the gardens and the bounty it creates. Hand crafted small batch treasures can be found in our onsite farm store and the local Sherwood Saturday Market. Volunteers make the magic happen! Whether you are a neighbor, a business executive on a team, a Rotary club member, a college student, or a supported person* looking to practice pre-employment skill building, all people have something to offer the volunteer community at the farm. We host single day team volunteering and ongoing weekly opportunities. Message us for a tour and to discover how you can be a part of making a difference.

We love children and partner with the families to share hope and encouragement, one child and one family at a time. We believe everyone can make a difference!

Ready To Help?

Partnering with Embrace Compassion truly makes the life of a child brighter. Sign up today to provide programming at the farm for kids with cancer. Donating a one-time gift or a monthly donation, helps make what we do possible.

Programming

Brighter Box Experience in Oregon

Our desire is that children in treatment, and their siblings, might have a safe and fun experience that truly allows them to be kids. We want these children to feed the goats, check on the chickens, plant a few seeds and harvest some goodness to take home in their own Brighter Box. Each month, the farm will have a theme to help bring a little bit of the farm home with these special children. For example, in August when the berries are ripe, a farm box may have a child-sized apron with raspberries on it, all of the items needed to make jam, an age appropriate book about the farm and a simple art project for later.

Farm experiences will be given to families free of charge and set up in such a way to maximize their safety. When you choose to help fund these children's farm experiences, you are giving them the chance to be kids and to make their lives just a little bit brighter. We can't take away the cancer or the hardship they are going through, but we can give them something to look forward to, in coming to the farm each month.

Volunteer and Make the Brightness Happen

Everyone has a story. We all have times where we have needed a little help and a time when we have something to offer. The farm is where community aligns with finding purpose and coming together as a team to make life brighter. Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and skill sets.

Cancer families post treatment, people who work on a business team, neighbors in the Sherwood area, retired friends, students from George Fox, and people passionate about growing healthy food that hasn’t been sprayed, this is your place to belong. There are endless opportunities and ways to contribute. From helping in the gardens, with the animals, with the events for children in cancer treatment and their families, teaching a craft or skill, hosting our farm markets or behind the scenes with professional skills, there is a place for everyone to participate. We learn and we grow!

Special Projects and Wishlist

Over the years, we have found strength in rallying support around specific special projects. When many of us come together, it makes the effort light. One-time gifts help with special projects and allow us to pool resources for an immediate need beyond our ongoing programing and sponsorship.

*We are always collecting: Vases, canning jars of all sizes, vintage vessels and baskets, new books for children, new gardening tools, plants and supplies.

Some examples of special projects in the past are:

  • Drip irrigation and refresh on the cedar garden boxes that grow so much food.
  • Inclusive and accessible greenhouse to create a space suitable for nurturing plants for a longer season, even in the winter months.
  • Van for exploring and visiting vendors, picking up supplies, and allowing more supported volunteers to learn in the community.

*Adult with developmental and intellectual disabilities receiving services through a service coordinator or personal agent.

How can you help?

We would love to include you in our giving circle. Thank you for partnering with us in this adventure to make life for children just a little bit brighter. We're confident you'll receive the joy of giving for yourself.

$1+

Single Gift

  • General Support
  • Special Projects
  • One-Time or Monthly

$40/month

Brighter Box

  • Local Sponsorship
  • Farm Experience
  • Monthly Donation

Testimonials

What's New

Recent updates from courageous team as we do life together at Embrace Compassion.

Team

Our Embrace Compassion team is primarily a group of volunteers, giving out of our overflow. We have incredibly talented professionals who work their regular jobs and then invest in Embrace Compassion through life-impacting volunteer work. Some of our behind the scenes volunteers are attorneys, accountants, coders, executives and sales people. Some are stay-at-home moms. What binds them together? Their commitment to children in hard places.

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Embrace Compassion Staff

The team is talented in farming, construction, food service, working with children, and business. Their experience lends itself well to hosting beautiful events at the farm, creating magical gardens full of food, running the farm market and caring for our vulnerable families and children.

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Volunteers Extraordinaire

Wonderful people gather at the farm, Monday through Friday, to help with all behind the scenes aspects of creating the farm experiences. Saturday volunteers help at the local Saturday Market and working our events for children in treatment and their families special.

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Skill Building

Adults who desire to work in competitive integrated employment are encouraged to participate in skill building as part of the Embrace Compassion volunteer team, so they can be propelled forward toward their career goals. *Supported Adults with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities

Frequently Asked Questions

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