Today we’d like to introduce you to Cara Fox.
Hi Cara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was growing up, my mom always worked for nonprofit organizations, so at a young age I learned about the importance of volunteering and giving back. By the time I was a teenager, I was on the youth board of a local assistance ministry and I got my first job at a small nonprofit when I was a sophomore in college. Armed with degrees in social work and public affairs from the University of Texas at Austin and about a million volunteer hours with a bunch of different causes, I decided that child welfare was my passion and started working in that field after graduation.
Partway through my first year on the job, the primary fundraising person for our statewide graduation ceremony for kids in foster care quit just a few months before the event. My boss told me to work with the planning committee and find the money to host the graduation. There was no way we were going to let those kids down, so I started asking people for money. I learned how transformational it can be for both the givers and the receivers when you give people an opportunity to come together around a shared human experience.
Throughout the years, all of my volunteering and professional work has focused on supporting families in times of vulnerability and connecting them with resources. Currently, I’m the CEO of Cheyanna’s Champions 4 Children (CC4C) and our mission is to enhance the quality of life for children with rare and undiagnosed conditions.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I’m a nonprofit executive, but I’m a mom first. Juggling motherhood with a demanding career has presented endless challenges – from infancy to the teen years! But it’s important to me to model a purpose-driven life to my children, just as my mom did for me.
Sometimes personal challenges have made it difficult to balance professional demands, but in every single instance they have shaped me into a more compassionate person with a broadened perspective on some of the challenges we all face. Like when I lost my mom to cancer while I was leading a grief support organization. Or when I took my role at CC4C after navigating life with a sick child and no answers.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At CC4C, we work with children with rare and undiagnosed conditions and our vision is that any child without answers to their illness will have a community to turn to for resources and support to health. We provide financial support for medical expenses not covered by insurance, peer support and connection to resources, and unforgettable experiences to help kids stay uplifted through it all.
We’re unique in that we serve kids with ALL rare conditions, including those that are still on the diagnostic odyssey and lacking an official diagnosis. The kids are often overlooked by other organizations who provide similar supports. We also serve them all the way until age 18 – so once you join the CC4C family, we’re walking alongside you for the long haul! Finally, we serve the entire family. We offer programming for parents and siblings, too.
The first word that springs to mind about CC4C is Family. No matter how old kids are when they come to us, we serve them to adulthood – and we serve the entire family. Our donors, volunteers, and everyone who becomes involved with us becomes part of our family. We’re all here to serve and support families – as families. I love that about us.
Any big plans?
This year we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary at CC4C and we have lots of big plans for the future! We’re streamlining our services and broadening eligibility so that we can support more kids across the state. We’re partnering with other organizations in the rare and undiagnosed community as well as clinical partners, so we can better illuminate pathways to diagnosis and healing.
Collectively, 1 in 10 Americans are affected by the 7,000+ identified rare diseases and 72% of cases are genetic. As advancements in this space unfold, we’ll be there to connect our families to solutions – and walk alongside them in the meantime.
Contact Info:
- Email: cfox@cc4c.org
- Website: www.cc4c.org
- Instagram: cc4corg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CC4Corg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOAtxtbI5B334EOogf-g0oA
Image Credits
Bella Noche Photo Headshot of Cara Fox is Sam Bond Photography
