About Us...

Side-by-Side staff, together with our screened, trained and supported volunteers, offers assistance to families who have temporarily relocated to Seattle for treatment, complementing the care they receive from the healthcare community. Through our Family Support Program, we endeavor to serve and support these families, providing a community for them away from home. Families are referred to us by social workers and staff from Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the Hutch School, Ronald McDonald House, and by other families who have received our support.

How we began...

When a family from Montana temporarily relocated to Seattle for their son’s cancer treatment, they recognized the great need for practical care and support for other out-of-town families.  They shared their story with leaders at University Presbyterian Church, introducing to them two young men wholeheartedly gifted in coming alongside families with seriously ill children. Side-by-Side was founded in July of 1998 as part of UPC’s Children & Family Ministries Department. The skills and vision of the leadership team, UPC’s strategic location and vibrant, compassionate congregation plus Seattle’s distinction as a regional center for care and research facilities for children with cancer helped to compel this venture. Through our association with organizations such as Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and the Ronald McDonald House, Side-by-Side now serves families from a wide area: Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho and beyond.