A Hoodie & Hope

My Cancer Family Spotlight: Hoodie & Hope, a Cancer Non-profit

Hope is meant to be shared.

This month we’re spotlighting A Hoodie & Hope, a nonprofit created by four moms from Livingston, NJ — Lauren Feldman, Nancy Ritch, Elissa Langer and Jennifer Kantor — who bonded through their own breast cancer journeys.

It began with one simple zip-up hoodie, passed from one person facing breast cancer to the next. Each person added a handwritten message of encouragement inside, a reminder that no one walks this journey alone.

That original hoodie inspired A Hoodie & Hope, a 501(c)(3) that donates zip-up sweatshirts to breast cancer patients. Each sweatshirt carries the original messages from the four founders. Recipients are encouraged to add their own note and, if they meet someone else facing breast cancer, pass it along — continuing the circle of hope with every new message.

What started as something practical became a source of hope, connection and comfort.

How It All Began

Lauren Feldman bought a gray zip-up hoodie on Amazon before her double mastectomy. Afterward, she passed it to other women in Livingston, NJ, heading into their own surgeries.

Eventually Lauren and Nancy Ritch had the idea to write inspirational messages inside the sweatshirt before passing it on. Elissa Langer and Jen Kantor received it too.

That original hoodie still exists — and it’s still being shared within their community.

What It Means to Them

“The most meaningful part of starting A Hoodie & Hope has been knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of women facing breast cancer,” the founders share.

Having been through it themselves, they know how much even the smallest gesture of kindness can mean. Hearing from women who found comfort, strength and connection in a hoodie has been incredibly rewarding — a way to give back and turn their own difficult experiences into something positive.

“The most meaningful part of starting A Hoodie & Hope has been knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of women facing breast cancer,” the founders share.

Advice for Getting Through Treatment

Create a mantra

One of the most helpful pieces of advice I received was to come up with a mantra that resonated with me. Mine was three words: “Grateful. Believe. Strong AF.” I repeated them through scans, pre-op appointments, surgery and recovery. They helped me find strength when so much felt out of my control.

Give yourself something to look forward to

After surgery and radiation, I treated myself to something special to mark what I had been through. It doesn’t have to be expensive — or cost anything. It’s important to acknowledge and celebrate how far you’ve come, and it helped me get through the difficult moments.

Two things can be true at once

A breast cancer diagnosis can be one of the hardest moments of your life, but you don’t have to hide at home in bed. Feel the feelings — and if you’re up for it, go to the girls’ dinner, cheer from the sidelines at your son’s basketball game, and laugh when you can. Give yourself permission to make plans and enjoy as much as possible.

Control what you can control

Helplessness can creep in after a diagnosis. So many factors are out of our control, but focusing on what I could control helped a lot: choosing the surgeons I felt most comfortable with, working out to get as strong as I could before surgery, and starting physical therapy during recovery.

Let others help you

I’ll be forever grateful for the support of friends and family. Tell people what you’re going through so they can show up — with a meal, a carpool, or an introduction to someone who has already had breast cancer. Being surrounded by love can truly reduce stress and help you heal, physically and emotionally.

Help others

When you’re ready, and if you’re so inclined, pay forward the support you received. Share your story, answer questions, and check in regularly. Helping others is a powerful way to move your own healing forward — and it truly benefits those earlier in their journey.

Find your tribe

Surround yourself with people who truly understand what you’re going through. Having women by my side who had walked the same path made me feel less alone. We leaned on each other, laughed and cried together, and found strength in one another. Some of them have become my closest friends.

Give yourself grace

Cancer teaches you that you can’t control everything. It’s okay to have bad days, to ask for help, and to not always be strong. Take it one day at a time — healing isn’t always a straight line. And get a blowout… a good hair day makes everything better!

Founders' Favorite Recovery Products

A tip from Lauren: “I was actually so unprepared for my surgery!” The night she came home from the hospital, her husband had to run out for a wedge pillow — so get yours before surgery day.

“A lifesaver during recovery” — the first thing Nancy (& Lauren) tells people to buy once they have a surgery date. It made sleeping comfortable in the first weeks of healing.

You can’t lift your arms well after surgery. A zip-up makes dressing easier and helps hide drains. Lauren’s became the original Hoodie & Hope sweatshirt.

Right after surgery, the pockets were the easiest place to hold drains — paired with an oversized sweatshirt.

Comfortable enough to step into early on, when Elissa couldn’t lift her arms. Sold at Target and amazon.

With limited range of motion on one side, spray made deodorant possible. “I’m sure my friends and family appreciated it too!”

Gifts from friends, with uplifting words that served as daily reminders of strength and hope on harder days.

How You Can Help

A Hoodie & Hope’s greatest need right now is monetary donations to buy new hoodies and reach more people facing breast cancer. Every donation helps share hope with someone during a challenging time — one hoodie at a time.