LifeChronicles Children's Fund

11/27/2024

Let's all be thankful to have each other..
8 years ago on Tuesday before Thanksgiving, LifeChronicles received a phone call from a young mother in Boston whose husband had been given a very short time to live. When we asked if they could wait until Sunday after Thanksgiving, she started to cry, and we said "we will be right there." I arrived the next night in Boston and filmed the family all day on Thanksgiving. I understood when the father asked me to stay for dinner and "would you film it." He passed four days later.
Today I received our 7th annual phone call from Tracy who says she loves the video for many reasons, especially because it shows "the last joy we had before he passed." It's such a gift each year to hear what our work has meant to this young family. Here's a clip of their boys (6 & 4) giving a Batman interview before we started to film their papa...it will warm your heart!

This is "Coyle boys-Batman & Robin.m4v" by Kate Carter on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

11/19/2024

How about a feel good? A few days ago LifeChronicles received a call from a young social worker at a Southern California hospice. She said she had a "really nice family" that needs our services. A 41 year old veteran with a wife and three children under the age of 8 has terminal cancer and had listed "a video log" for his children in his dying wishes. As I shared with the social worker how LifeChronicles does what it does and what we could do for this young father, she began to cry. She said, "I'm so happy I found LifeChronicles! It's been a very hard day and this has changed everything!" When the dying father's wife called the next day, we scheduled a filming on the 23rd which will include him reading to his children...by being filmed in their father's arms, they will always remember not just the sight and sound of their father, they will remember what it felt like to be in his presence and loved by him. Having served more than 2,000 families in the past 26 years, we know this gift will bring him peace of mind and will ease the grieving of his wife and children as the years go by.

07/01/2024

Hard to believe our annual Remarkable Life Award this year honoring Judi & Harry Weisbart was two weeks ago...for those of you who couldn't join us, here is the video we showed for LifeChronicles...enjoy!

https://vimeo.com/958791226/894dbb0523

04/10/2024

Sometimes the universe just speaks to you...last week I posted about a video LifeChronicles did in Ventura for a terminally ill woman for her very young grandchildren...we filmed her with her very loving husband as they shared stories of their life and love together...then we filmed her sharing her love for her children and her little grandchildren. Monday I prepared to send them the raw footage which is our usual first step process, but as I entered it into the computer, I felt the need to start editing, just to show them how things would look when it is finished...but I just kept editing. Even late last night when I wanted to stop, I just kept going until it was finished..at 11:30pm. This morning I reached out to her friend who initiated this on March 30, just 10 days ago, and learned that this wonderful, loving woman passed away Monday at 11:27pm...24 hours before the editing was finished and one week after we filmed her. It's things like this that remind me that there are no accidents. Just love.

03/26/2024

Can't wait to Honor Harry & Judi Weisbart...join us in sharing the love!

03/17/2024

Eight years ago…LifeChronicles continues it's work...just returned from tapings in South Carolina and Boston. The first taping was of a 7 year old boy with brain cancer. We taped him with his 24 year old mother holding him in her arms. It was a sweet experience, though there were tears. I know his mother will cherish this footage of her with her precious baby boy. Then I headed to Boston to tape a 37 year old single father with late stage melanoma. He played video games with his five year old son and they shared stories of happy times to be remembered. Then I headed to a single 44 year old mother of 10 and 9 year old boys. She has end stage cancer as well, and while they were there, we taped her with her sisters and her mother. I came back the next day to tape her with her father and brother who drove from far away to be part of the LifeChronicles experience. There were tears and hugs and kisses all around...We got the call for these tapings with only a couple of days notice as these people are in unpredictable situations, so we hurried to be there. If you or anyone you know is able to donate toward the travel for this trip, please contact us at 805-682-3411 or go to our website www.lifechronicles.org/donate. Your donation is completely tax deductible and will help make it possible for us to continue this work. Please spread the word...you never know who could benefit from what we do!

P.S.: Many thanks to Marie Colantoni Pechet who we taped in August of 2014 and has graciously provided a lovely place for me to stay at least 5 times when I have come to Boston in the past year.

  We gratefully accept donations to help defray our costs and expand our services. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. You may contact us by phone at 805-682-3411 or send your donation to: LifeChronicles PO Box 31152 Santa Barbara, CA 93130 Checks made payable to LifeChronicles ...

03/17/2024

Four years ago, after watching a webinar by a nonprofit attorney advising nonprofits to perhaps shut down for 6 months as Covid reared its threatening head, I posted my thoughts about LifeChronicles and then received a message from Patty DeDominic that turned the tide…thank goodness we followed her advice and encouragement: “There are people who need you more than ever. We as a nation have survived difficult times in the past. Reduce your non essential expenses. Increase your outreach, sharing wisdom and virtually touching all your influencers and prospective families. These tough times never last but you will.” WE DID! Thank you, Patty!♥️

01/01/2024

To all my Facebook friends...if you want to make a year's end donation, please consider LifeChronicles...the gift that keeps on giving! Here's a story about what I mean:

12/25/2023

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and lovely holiday season...here's to all of us...lets be the best humans we can be!

12/24/2023

We miss you at giftwrap this year, Billy Baldwin, but we know you are there with us in spirit

12/24/2023

If you still have gifts that need to be wrapped, head to Peppermint Parlor at Paseo Nuevo (across from Sephora)...for the 23rd year in a row, our LifeChronicles volunteers are wrapping gifts for donations until 6pm! (It's the 1st year I have not been able to be there, so tell them Katie sent you!)

12/23/2023

Our 23rd annual LifeChronicles gift wrapping fundraiser is happening at Peppermint Parlor at Paseo Nuevo - there's a cool photo booth and other fun things to do while we wrap your gifts! Happy Holidays!

noon til 8pm today
10 am til 6 pm tomorrow