Satchels of Caring Foundation closing after nearly 2 decades giving hope to cancer patients
Over the course of 19 years, these hand-sewn fabric bags contained more than scarves, journals and tissues.
They also carried hope for recipients dealing with cancer.
What started as a project in 2003 through the American Cancer Society, the Satchels of Caring Foundation was formed initially to help women who lost their hair because of cancer treatment by giving them scarves.
It became a gesture giving them much more than a pretty piece of material as an accessory.
“I’ve seen patients over the years cry and get so excited that something was made just for them,” said Heather Knuth, president of the Satchels of Caring Foundation board. “It really brightens the day of a patient. For them, it was a hug in a bag.”
Sadly, like many organizations during the pandemic, Satchels of Caring Foundation is closing its doors.
The organization based in Downtown Pittsburgh has a lease that’s coming up. It’s been difficult to find volunteers, and not being able to hold in-person fundraising events, Knuth said, has also contributed.
Many of the volunteers came from BNY Mellon in Downtown Pittsburgh, a long-time partner in the foundation’s mission.
“Although the need for satchels is not diminished, covid-19 has impacted our core volunteer network, and without in-person fundraisers, our financial stability,” Knuth said. “Our lease is up and it seemed like the right time to move forward.”
Over the years, the organization distributed more than 18,000 satchels.
As a cancer survivor, Knuth knows that feeling of being in a hospital for chemotherapy or radiation. She reached out to UPMC oncologist Dr. Stanley Marks who was her doctor and showed him the bags. He helped direct Knuth to the then Cancer Caring Center.
“We’ve had a wonderful relationship with the Cancer Caring Center,” Knuth said. “I’ve met people along the way who I never would have met if I didn’t do this. Being part of Satchels of Caring has been a blessing. There are so many wonderful memories. We’ve received so many thank you notes. Those messages empowered us to keep going. We made people feel good, and that was healing for me having been through it.”
The connection to the Cancer Caring Center was amazing, said Rebecca Whitlinger, associate director, Cancer Bridges (formerly Cancer Caring Center and Our Clubhouse).
“Because we’ve admired their work for years, we feel honored that Satchels of Caring chose to fund some of our support programs at Cancer Bridges,” Whitlinger said. “We offer different services, but share the same mission of helping patients through the cancer journey, and that feels great.”
Knuth said they wanted to help women going through cancer treatment for a project and things just evolved from there.
“Some women can’t afford wigs, so we created a scarf design and made that,” Knuth said. “Then we needed something to put the scarves, in so we created the bags, or satchels, as we called them.”
In 2005, Satchels of Caring approached teachers in middle schools, high schools and colleges to invite students to sew the bags as part of the family consumer science class.
“This expansion allowed us to introduce our program to children in the various communities where we distributed satchels,” said board member Eileen Iorio of Bethel Park. “During this time, our satchel recipients were thrilled to get satchels crafted for them by young students in the community.”
They enclosed a photo of the students holding the satchels they created. They held a volunteer day in partnership with businesses, hospitals, schools and distributors in the community, such as SouthSide Works, Desmone Architects, Integrity Design, St. Clair Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, Indiana University and North Hills Middle School.
Between 2006 and 2011, the organization was awarded a Susan G. Komen Grant. The funds helped to expand the program and deliver satchels to underprivileged counties and throughout Western Pennsylvania to State College and Erie, Knuth said.
“Over the years, I had the privilege to personally deliver our satchels to individuals and to health facilities,” said Iorio. “Satchel recipients were always overwhelmed that strangers cared enough to give such a beautiful handcrafted satchel with tasteful contents to someone they didn’t know. The consensus was that the satchel made a bad day better.”
A volunteer’s son wanted to do a project for Eagle Scouts and created a man’s version of the bag with a drawstring and other items guys could use.
One of the annual fundraisers for Satchels of Caring was Bags, Bellinis & Brunch, which raised an average of $25,000 over the past several years, according to Knuth.
The plan is to donate remaining funds to an organization with similar core values, one that supports cancer research and Satchels of Caring’s mission, Knuth said.
The women who initally started the project were members of a group called CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), and creating the “New You program” was their philanthropic effort. The program grew so much and had a different mission than CREW, so they decided to split away and create a new foundation called Satchels of Caring.
“Having a foundation, a registered 501c3 allowed us to accept donations and focus on our mission of supporting those with cancer,” said Knuth, who is an interior designer and lives in Cecil, Washington County. Her connections helped with materials for the bags.
“It allowed me access to loads of beautiful free fabric and to share our mission with a network of professionals I do business with on a daily basis,” Knuth said.
People told Knuth they bring the satchel each time they come for treatment because there are items they need and they definitely use them.
“These are some of the worst days of their lives and to be given a beautiful, meaningful gift means the world to them,” Knuth said. “When we meet these people, they share their stories with us. The bags carry more than personal items. They carry love.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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