Our Kids has begun providing Welcome Home Packs to families who have had to travel away from Northern NSW for children to receive cancer treatment.

The board of Our Kids, led by chair Suzette Pearce, recognised a need to support families during this time, and worked with local oncology nurse practitioner, Kris Liebke, to come up with a solution.

The packs - which have a total value of about $1000 - include supermarket vouchers for food to restock cupboards, petrol vouchers to help with transportation costs, a voucher for clothes, a voucher to a local restaurant and an age appropriate gift for the child.

Recognising the psychological strain that cancer treatment also places on families, they also include a step by step guide on how to request and access tailored counselling support.

Byron Bay Coffee has donated $5,000 to help sponsor the Welcome Home Packs.

Lismore Base Hospital Cancer Care and Haematology Unit nurse practitioner Kris Liebke said that by removing some of the financial burden, the packs would allow families to concentrate on re-establishing themselves back in their own community

“I believe that these packs from Our Kids will make a very significant and real difference to local families,” he said.

“Most importantly, they tell the families that their local community cares.”

To find out more about the Welcome Home Pack project or to sponsor a pack, contact Our Kids on 6620 2705.