Adventure, Play, and Time Away
A FREE COMMUNITY FOR KIDS IMPACTED BY A LOVED ONE’S CANCER
Cancer is hard on the whole family. We’re here to help.
Adventure, Play, and Time Away
A FREE COMMUNITY FOR KIDS IMPACTED BY A LOVED ONE’S CANCER
Cancer is hard on the whole family. We’re here to help.
Adventure, Play, and Time Away
A FREE COMMUNITY FOR KIDS IMPACTED BY A LOVED ONE’S CANCER
Cancer is hard on the whole family. We’re here to help.
On Belay programs encourage participants to uncover their inner resilience, create community, and connect with other children experiencing the impact of having a loved one with cancer.
We currently host programs in New Hampshire, Southern Maine, and the North Shore of Massachusetts.
Why Choose On Belay?
Having a loved one with cancer can rock the foundation of a child’s world.
On Belay is not a therapeutic program in the traditional sense. Still, we offer participants opportunities to cope and perhaps heal through adventure, play, and time away from dealing with their family’s illness by providing opportunities to:
On Belay is a supportive and comfortable place to make new friends who understand what you are going through; friends you can turn to when times are tough.
Build Community
Participants are encouraged to challenge themselves, giving them the confidence to face cancer’s challenges.
Develop Confidence
Have Fun
Our programs allow kids to focus on themselves and have fun, creating joy and happiness in an otherwise difficult time.
Accept Support
In our programs, participants feel comfortable and supported by adults and each other. They learn the true meaning of being “on belay.”
Our Programs
On Belay offers free year-round adventure activities like ropes courses, rock climbing, surfing, and backpacking to provide kids with support, fun, and personal growth.
All our programs are offered at no cost to families impacted by a loved one’s cancer. To see us in action, check out the photos in our Photo Gallery!
In the climbing world, “belay” means to secure or to hold fast...
When “On Belay,” the climber knows that a support system is in place that allows them to fall safely or take a break when they need to.
That is what we do for our kids and families. On Belay is a support system that allows them to fall safely or take a break from the world of cancer.
Our Kids
On Belay programs are free to youth ages 8-18 with a loved one who has or has had cancer.
Once a part of the On Belay community, participants can return to as many programs as they wish.
Have more questions about who we serve or how to register for programs?
“My son had so much fun and was thanking us over and over for arranging for him to go. On Belay is a wonderful program. Last night I met the sister of the woman who started On Belay. As we talked, I started to cry, and she just hugged me without hesitation. That meant the world to me. Thank you, everyone, staff, and volunteers, for all you do.”
Our Founder
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Crescentia Healy-True recognized that traditional support groups are not always the answer for every child living through difficult family situations.
Determined to ensure that her two animated, active, and adventurous daughters would have a community of friends to confide in and to look to for support while their mother was in treatment and after she was gone, she created On Belay.
