About the Nonprofit
Visit Our Website
Our mission is to encourage every child fighting cancer to Never Ever Give Up.
The Jessie Rees Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, is inspired by 12-year-old Jessica Joy Rees, better known as “Jessie”. Jessie was a beautiful, athletic, smart, and compassionate girl who fought two brain tumors (DIPG) from March 3, 2011, to January 5, 2012. During her 10-month courageous fight, Jessie focused on spreading hope, joy, and love to other kids during their own fight with cancer. She knew that having cancer made kids feel lonely and limited, and as a result, Jessie felt empowered to help ease these feelings for those children. That is when she created “Jessie’s JoyJars”.
Jessie’s JoyJars are 64 oz. plastic jars stuffed to the brim with age-specific toys, activities, and games. JoyJars create smiles, cures bad days, and encourages Courageous Kids fighting cancer to NEGU- “Never Ever Give Up”. JoyJars are 100% free to Courageous Kids in active treatment up to age 18.
JoyJars contain items such as toy cars, stuffed animals, stickers, coloring books, card games, iTunes gift cards, crazy socks & beanies, video games, and much more. JoyJars are provided at no cost to partnering hospitals and pediatric cancer care facilities and are given to children who have just received a cancer diagnosis, and those who are hospitalized or receiving cancer treatment.
The purpose of Jessie’s JoyJars is to provide every kid fighting cancer with hope, joy, and encouragement to NEGU at the moment of diagnosis, or during hospitalizations for surgery, treatment or illness. Jessie’s JoyJars serve as the Jessie Rees Foundation’s first step in connecting with families, bringing awareness to their stories, offering them helpful resources, and sending them continual boosts of encouragement.
After receiving one of Jessie’s JoyJars, children and families fighting cancer can sign up for our free ClubNEGU program. Through this initiative, the Jessie Rees Foundation encourages the entire family to NEGU with monthly ‘Boosts of Joy’ delivered directly to Courageous Kids, their SuperSiblings, and their parents or caregivers at home or in the hospital. Boosts of Joy include Family Fun-Packs complete with board games, movies, and popcorn for a night of family fun; Birthday JoyJars filled with hand-picked, customized items to make kids smile, keep them entertained, and provide them comfort; Sibling Blessing Boxes with special messages and NEGU gear just for brothers and sisters; and many more including the Winter Wonderful JoyJar and our annual Jessie’s Birthday JoyJar.
While in the midst of doses of medication, radiation, and chemo- doses of encouragement and love can create a smile or help a child forget about their treatment, even for just a moment.
Thanks to Jessie and the support of her family and friends, the first 3,000 JoyJars were stuffed and sent- all so that other kids fighting cancer could smile and know they were not alone. Jessie left us all with an amazing legacy of love, as well as one big wish, which is still our mission today. Jessie’s Wish: “Please help every kid fighting cancer to Never Ever Give Up”. To date, we have sent over 425,000 JoyJars to courageous kids in children’s hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, and oncology camps in all 50 states and over 53 countries.
