Three easy steps to get involved
No matter if you run a marathon, shave your head, sell bandannas or show your support through a generous donation, you're getting involved. The Canteen Community is a strong, supportive, and caring one, and we know you won't let rangatahi face cancer alone.
With your help, we can ensure core services that Canteen Aotearoa provide can continue for years to come. Help us today, and get involved!
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About Canteen Aotearoa
Canteen is the only national organisation in Aotearoa dedicated to providing tailored support for rangatahi impacted by cancer.
Around 4,200 rangatahi are impacted by cancer every year in Aotearoa. Rangatahi don’t have to face cancer alone. Canteen is a safe space where rangatahi aged 13-24 impacted by their own diagnosis or cancer in their whānau can connect, share the tough stuff, and get a break from cancer.
Meet Paige Tuioti
"My mum thought I was playing a trick on her at first because we'd been talking about me needing glasses at the dinner table. However, Mum took me to the hospital and that's when we discovered the tumour."
Paige's tumour was sitting on her optic nerve, which was causing her to go blind and have intense headaches. At eight years old, Paige didn't understand what was going to happen or what the word cancer really meant.
"My mum was the one who told me I had cancer. My first thought was, ‘am I going to lose my hair?’ and when I found out that I would, I started crying."
Paige underwent multiple MRI's, lumbar punctures, bone marrow procedures and numerous rounds of chemotherapy. A once active and energetic little girl, who loved plaiting her hair, couldn't any longer.
“I felt lost and had no one around me who could really understand what I was going through.”
Canteen Aotearoa helps 750 rangatahi each year like Paige. Events, programmes, camps, and one-on-one sessions are all part of the work that Canteen does to provide a caring, welcoming, and community-based enviornment for rangatahi like Paige to not only thrive, but strive for more.
“Canteen has provided opportunities to make long-lasting friendships, realise my leadership potential and nurture my confidence to be the best person I can be. My siblings also got support from Canteen, which helped them understand what ‘having cancer’ meant and gave them a space to have a distraction from cancer by joining events.”
When you organise a community fundraising event, or donate to one of our many fundraising initiatives, you're helping young people like Paige. You're providing them the help they need to stay connected and feel like their not alone when impacted by cancer.
