Tony’s Hugs
We have no way to help a critically ill child overcome their illness and remove that burden from the family, but we can reach out and do some little things with great love. We Hope this will bring some comfort to these families in crisis. Our mission is that, when families are in that situation of hardship supporting a critically ill child, we would like to be a comforting “hug” to the families letting them know that they are not alone. We are big believers that it is the little kindnesses in this world that make all the difference. We want to do our small part in providing “hugs” to those in need. Our goal is that by opening our Hearts in this way. we can offer the family some sense of Hope!
About Tony’s Hugs
Tony’s Hugs is the flagship program of the Hearts of Hope Network. This program celebrates the life of Tony Stickels by offering little “hugs” of Hope for families that are suffering through the extreme hardships related to caring for a critically ill child. Tony was a generous and loving young man. He touched so many lives in his short 18 years. When we thought about what epitomized him best, we thought it would be a hug. He was always generous with his hugs. His family will tell you he was always there to smile at you and give you a hug when you needed it.
Obviously, we cannot be everywhere we are needed to give people an actual, physical hug so they could feel the love, so we do the next best thing by sending “hugs” via Tony’s Hugs gift boxes and/or special donations as needed. These gift boxes and donations are each tailor-made for the family in need. The information as to the family’s requirements comes from loved ones who are making the request for aid. We call these gifts “hugs”, because the intention of them is to offer support and Hope to the families – just like real life physical hugs do. It is our Hope that those receiving these gifts will feel our arms around them, and just for a moment, they will feel loved and full of Hope.
About Your Donations, Where & How They are used
Tony’s Hugs is the giving arm of Hearts of Hope Network. Your donations go to families that are suffering with extreme hardship related to caring for a critically ill child in the form of “Hug” boxes or financial assistance.
We do our best to keep costs as low as possible and 100% of all donations go to directly benefit those in need through Tony’s Hugs and Hearts of Hope Grants. The small amount we keep from the donations goes towards maintaining our website, our staff, and expanding our reach to help more and more families in need.
How are the funds distributed?
All gift awards are determined by the Hearts of Hope coordinators to determine the family’s needs and match it with our ability to help.
Who qualifies for help from Tony's Hugs?
In doing our research, we discovered that when it come to critically ill children, there are many charities and foundation out there that are providing services and/or gifts to the critically ill child. Some of the better-known ones are:
While all of these organizations are great, and we really Hope you consider supporting them, we are targeting this issue just a little bit differently.
Our experience is that the families of these children are also struggling and suffering. It is our desire to provide them with a little relief so they can go on with Hearts filled with Hope! To qualify, the family must have a critically ill child under the age of 26 that they are supporting. That is it!
When a family is referred, the person making the request will be contacted by a Hearts of Hope coordinator who will work with them to determine qualifications and how we might be able to help.
will i be able to file my gifts with my taxes?
Yes! Hearts of Hope is a 501c corporation, and every donation will include a receipt that can be used to claim the donation on your tax returns.
how can i sign up to receive aid?
Please complete the form here to request aid. A Hearts of Hope coordinator will be in touch with you to facilitate your request.
Apply For Aid
If you or someone you know are supporting a critically ill child, the first step in applying for aid is to fill out this simple form. Tell us a little about the situation, and we will get in touch with you for more information.
Please add us as a friend on facebook and like our page as well.
If you are already one of our Hearts of Hope families and are needing to apply for a grant, please click here to go to your family portal.
Get in Touch. Get Involved.
Do you have a question or story to share with us? Would you like to find out how you can be involved with Hearts of Hope Network or any of our programs? Use the contact form below to send us a message, and we will be in touch soon.
