
Sparrow’s Nest Charity: Providing Hope in Hopeless Situations
Battling cancer is no joke. According to the National Cancer Institute, the disease is still one of the leading causes of death around the globe. Statistics in 2022 show there were almost 20 million new cases and 9.7 million cancer-related deaths worldwide.
It's really not that far-fetched to say most everyone has been affected by cancer somehow, sometime during their life.
Providing Hope for Families Battling Cancer
It can be a troubling, helpless, and hopeless time for those involved. Not just the patient, but the family and friends who care about the well-being of their loved one. Furthermore, it can be extremely mentally taxing trying to balance life, work, and caring for a sick loved-one.
Sparrow's Nest Actively Works to Lighten the Load
Sparrow's Nest Charity is there to take some of the stress off your plate, by putting a fresh homemade meal on your plate instead! A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, they're always ready to help those in need.
With all the stress of daily life and worrying about your sick family member, it can be difficult to remember to take care of yourself. Some people even forget to eat.
"Battling cancer changes your priorities. Being able to sit around at a table with your family, where there's a meal you didn't have to pay for, you didn't have to think about what it was going to be, and you didn't have to go and get it. That releases hours of stress where you can concentrate on your family. It gives you back time, which is so precious, especially sometimes with a diagnosis where you don't know what the end result is going to look like," explained Executive Director Krista Jones.
Credit to: Sparrow's Nest Charity Instagram
Mission and Impact
This week on In Touch, we spoke with Krista Jones, the Executive Director and Founder of Sparrow's Nest, and Chauntel Shaffer, the Assistant to the Executive Director. We spoke about who they help, and how they help. We drove into their personal stories from the organization, and how important it is. Sparrow’s Nest is a 501(c)3 charity whose mission is to cook and deliver homemade meals to families facing a cancer in Dutchess, Putnam and parts of Orange, Ulster and Northern Westchester Counties.
Founded in 2013, the charity feeds an average of 400-450 people each week; more than 4,500 individuals since their inception. They've also recently expanded in late 2024, and are looking to feed even more families.
In order to qualify for their services, individuals must:
- live within a 35 mile radius of their Beekman kitchen.
- have children 18 or under living in the home and,
- be actively receiving chemotherapy, radiation and/or surgery as a result of a cancer diagnosis.
Qualified individuals are never turned away. As word of mouth grows, the need for their services continues to expand.
Like I stated before, that's exactly what they did at the end of 2024; expanded! The new initiative will start at the end of this month, and the goal is to feed 500 people weekly before summer hits.
"Starting at the end of February, we are opening up a mission in Dutchess County which will include feeding anybody, regardless of household composition. You don't have to have children in the home anymore in Dutchess County," Chauntel Shaffer told In Touch.
Sparrow's Nest provides several other programs for families including their supplemental food program, aftercare program, and camp sparrow program! These are all vital to their mission and goals within their respective areas.
"Our supplemental food program is to help our lower income families, or families who have lost their jobs due to their diagnosis. We all know food costs are going up, so we provide supplemental groceries for those who need them. We have "camp sparrow," where we provide lunch meat, snacks, and sandwiches during the summer months to children when they aren't in school. Parents won't have to worry about getting food for them! And of course our aftercare program, where we continue to feed families after the passing of a loved one. Most families need us for at least 3 to 6 months after passing," explained Shaffer.
It's organizations like Sparrow's Nest who truly make a difference in the communities they serve. With help from their 50-70 volunteers, they're able to cook food, and provide comfort to those battling through an emotional time.
If you'd like to learn more about their services, or get involved yourself, you can visit them online at sparrowsnestcharity.or