For the past two days, a cardboard box has been sitting in the Dunbar family’s living room. Daughters 8-year-old Skyler and 11-year-old Mackenzie shake the box carefully, listening for clues about what’s inside. During dinner, they discuss its possible contents with parents Ben and Jessica. The box will consume their thoughts and conversations for the next few days until they – along with dozens of other families around the Pacific Northwest – get the “open” go ahead.
The anticipation feels like Christmas, but thanks to The Light Collective (TLC), a nonprofit organization that serves families of children with cancer, this excitement doesn’t happen just once a year.
A monthly surprise that sparks joy
Since December 2020, TLC has been sending themed activity boxes to families each month, with everything recipients need — activities, snacks, and a DoorDash voucher — for a fun-filled afternoon. They are part of what TLC calls “Matchbox Day,” which includes Zoom calls allowing families to connect. To date, 113 families are on the recipient list, with 90 to 95 boxes being sent each month.
“Our mission is to create a hope-oriented community where families can build resilience and share delight,” says J. J. Kissinger, founder of The Light Collective. “We can’t pay off everybody’s medical bills or cure cancer, but if we can create one day each month that gives these families a chance to make some fun memories as a family — maybe get to know others on the same journey and feel a little less alone — then we feel like we’ve done the right thing.”
Creating moments of connection through community
Several times a year, TLC also organizes Out of the Box Days, which are one-day in-person gatherings in the Seattle area. The events are always held in private spaces, allowing TLC to ensure that all attendees have undergone medical screenings and to provide a safe, healthy environment for families.
When the Dunbars attended their first Out of the Box Day in October 2024 — more than a year after Mackenzie was diagnosed with T-cell leukemia — they didn’t know what to expect. They arrived at the event and saw “tables full of people just like us, in various stages of the whole [cancer] process,” Jessica says. “There were the kindest volunteers who were nice and helpful, and spoke ‘kid’ really well.”
Each family is assigned to an enthusiastic volunteer who serves as the family’s host for the day. The main events are always different — carnival, variety show, silly relay games — and are designed to include all family members. But while the activities are entertaining, engaging, and wholesome fun, being in an environment that builds solidarity and normalizes what people are experiencing is even more valuable.
Finding belonging in shared experiences
At one event, the parents of a pre-teen girl were surprised that their daughter had removed her hat, uncovering her bald head —something she hadn’t done even with her grandparents or close friends. When the mother expressed her surprise, her daughter replied, “Mom, these are my people” (despite having just met them).
At the start of Mackenzie’s cancer treatment at Seattle Children’s Hospital, she and Jessica stayed at the Ronald McDonald house in Seattle. But since moving to their home in North Bend, Jessica says the journey has become more isolating. “People who don’t have kids in this experience can’t relate,” she says. “And that’s OK, but it makes it hard when you’re having a hard moment — who do you talk to that really understands?”
In those moments, it’s essential to have individuals to reach out to, who know exactly what you’re talking about — and those connections are what the Dunbars and other families have found through TLC’s events. The organization has also added another virtual meet-up for parents, recognizing the lifeline that such connections provide.
“I heard it once said that a beautiful life is a life free of explanation, where you can just feel understood,” Kissinger said. “That’s what happens in these gatherings.”
Expanding support beyond Seattle
TLC is currently exploring how to expand the regional borders so families beyond Seattle can gather. The organization also is planning a family retreat weekend in March 2026.
“To be able to be a part of giving to a family, just that community of understanding, I’ll never get over it,” Kissinger said. “It feels like such an honor and a privilege to set the table for those things.”
Looking for more ways your family can get involved in local community support? Check out our guide to volunteering with kids in Seattle.
