Shortly before her daughter was to begin kindergarten, Allison heard the words that no parent wants to hear – your daughter has cancer. As treatments progressed, and hair was lost, her daughter Meredith was eager to find some item of clothing that would help her blend in with her peers; scarves called too much attention to her and hats didn’t do the trick. Enter the hoodie. Meredith found that wearing hoodies helped her feel more like a regular kid and they quickly became her favorite thing to wear. Inspired by what Toms Shoes was doing with footwear, Allison decided to create a “One for One” movement with hoodies. Today, for everyone who purchases a hoodie through BraveHoods, the company will donate one to a child going through cancer treatments or to the family members of that child because, as Allison points out, cancer is a family affair. In this interview, you will hear much more than how Allison started BraveHoods; you will hear about the kindness given by strangers during moments of intense anxiety and fear and how these moments inspired Allison to reach out and remind other mothers, and fathers, to breathe. You will hear stereotypes about New Yorkers dispelled and, importantly, learn how you can help support BraveHoods and bring delight to some brave kids going through cancer treatments as well as to their families. Learn more at www.bravehoods.org This episode is brought to you by the new novel Winning Streak – a story about a young man struggling to come to get his life back on track after the sudden death of his father. Pick up winning streak at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or wherever you buy books online. Available in e-book or paperback, if you still buy those things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.