Fairy Godmothers in Southern Maryland

Courtesy photo Fairy Godmother Project (FGP) volunteer Olivia Douglass, contract specialist with F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265), prepares a meal for donation. Since the formation of the Southern Maryland chapter in spring 2013, FGP volunteers have donated and delivered more than 300 meals to support local families dealing with pediatric cancer.

By Donna Cipolloni

NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs

They dont have wings and they dont wave wands, but the volunteers with Fairy Godmother Project are no less magical to the families they assist at a time when help is most needed.

The mission of Fairy Godmother Project is to ease the burden of everyday life for local families who have a child in treatment for a form of pediatric cancer by providing things like cooked meals, house cleaning, lawn care, gas cards, grocery cards or a much-needed parent or family night out.

Imagine what those things would mean to you if you were traveling every day to a treatment center hours from home because there is no local pediatric oncology treatment facility here, said Vicki Quade Hoffman, chapter coordinator of the Southern Maryland Fairy Godmother Project. Parents are missing work and struggling to raise their other children as normally as possible while watching a child fight for their life. We provide day to day support that allows them to better focus on their family.

Hoffman became involved with Fairy Godmother Project through its executive director and her friend, Andrea McConnell, who cofounded the organization in her Virginia community.

I knew it was something I wanted to bring to Southern Maryland, said Hoffman, full-time mom and former teacher.

Using social media to spread the word, a general interest meeting was held in March 2013 and just two months later, the groups initial fundraiser raised over $5,000, enabling them to begin supporting their first family. Embraced by the local community, they went on to raise more than $18,000 and were quickly supporting four families.

It was October 2013 when we were devastated by the loss of our first godchild to this awful disease, Hoffman said. Were still serving the other three families.

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Fairy Godmothers in Southern Maryland