Pickles Group believes that every family navigating a parent or caregiver’s cancer deserves an equitable opportunity to heal and thrive in life. 

We acknowledge that systems of discrimination and oppression both create and perpetuate racial, wealth, and health inequities that directly impact the daily experiences of the communities we serve— including their experiences with illness, medical and supportive care, treatment, and grief. 

We recognize, celebrate, and uplift the resiliency, value, and healing that is inherent across diverse communities and cultures. 

We seek to build community and relationships across race, ethnicity, color, spirituality, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, ability, veteran status, health, socioeconomic status, healthcare access, and other personal identities to foster more equitable, accessible social-emotional care and support for kids and families through a parent or caregiver’s cancer.

As an organization, we commit to these values by:

• Using qualitative data and quantitative feedback to work towards authentically serving a family population that reflects the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the cancer community in Chicago first, and cities beyond as we grow.

• Developing processes to recruit, hire, and support individuals from local and marginalized communities as members of our staff, volunteer community, and board of directors.

• Being informed, self-reflective, and active in understanding and addressing individual biases and systemic barriers to equity, inclusion, and access within our organization and programs. 

• Doing the work and making the investments to integrate equity, access, and inclusion into our strategies, structures, and program design and delivery. 

• Being in community and dialogue with local coalitions and organizations that uplift marginalized voices and oppose racism and discrimination so that we are responsible for our intent to be part of the solution.

• Committing to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access not as a symbolic statement, but rather as an evolving personal and organizational journey– we value action and progress.