About Chai Lifeline
Background
Chai Lifeline was founded in 1986 by one very dynamic and talented man, Rabbi Simcha Scholar. Chai Lifeline began with its pilot program, a summer camp for children suffering from cancer, known as Camp Simcha. The camp provided resources, staff and an environment exactly tailored to suit the special needs of these sick kids.
Camp Simcha was an overwhelming success. Not only did it offer the opportunity for seriously ill children to have the time of their lives, it provided beleaguered families with a much-needed respite of several weeks.
The overwhelming response to Camp Simcha was an indication of the tremendous need for such services all year round, not only for cancer victims but for children suffering from all types of serious illness. Chai Lifeline evolved rapidly, identifying the various needs of ill children and their families, and creating the programs to satisfy those needs. Today, Chai Lifeline is an international organization with four regional branches in the United States, associate branches in Israel and Europe, and twenty-four separate programs. Chai Lifeline has earned the acclaim of doctors, therapists, and community leaders, as well as the unending gratitude of thousands and thousands of children and families.
Scope of Services
Families of children with serious illness face a host of challenges on numerous fronts, challenges that immeasurably compound the difficulty of their arduous struggle of combating the disease itself. Chai Lifeline addresses the full spectrum of needs, from logistical to social, recreational to psychological. Chai Lifeline reaches out not only to patients, but also to parents, siblings, classmates, school faculty, and the community as well.
Despite our size, Chai Lifeline is an organization comprised of caring, compassionate individuals who are sensitive to the unique needs of each individual they help. When families feel alone and overwhelmed, Chai Lifeline staff members extend a helping hand, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on – and a loving heart. Because, at the end of the day, that is what Chai Lifeline is all about – fighting illness with love.
