Minna no Lemonade no Kai

Every Connection Matters. Help Us Keep Them Growing.

September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Across Japan, buildings and landmarks were illuminated in gold, the international awareness color for childhood cancer.

At Minlemo, we believe awareness is about more than understanding a disease. It is also about understanding the everyday lives of children and families, recognizing the challenges they face during and after treatment, and ensuring they have opportunities to connect with others.

Throughout September, we continued delivering care packages, organizing online activities, and creating opportunities for families to meet in person.

We also held our first community gathering in the Kansai region and organized a lemonade stand at our new community space in western Japan.

Every activity brought us closer to our goal: creating a community where no family faces childhood cancer alone.

However, as our activities grow and more families seek support, securing sufficient funding to continue our work has become an increasingly serious challenge.

This month, we would like to share both our achievements and the challenges we face.

September Support Overview

During September, Minlemo provided:

• Care package support: 89 individuals

• Connection and community support: 184 participants

  • Online activities: 102 participants

  • In-person activities: 82 participants

Our care packages reached children and families across 24 prefectures in Japan:

Hokkaido, Iwate, Miyagi, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Okayama, Hiroshima, Ehime, Fukuoka, and Okinawa.

Behind every number is a child, a sibling, or a family.

Some children are currently receiving treatment. Others have completed treatment but continue to face challenges in their everyday lives.

Our mission is to support them throughout their journeys, not only during hospitalization.

Our First Community Gathering in the Kansai Region

One of September's most meaningful milestones was our first community gathering in Kyoto.

Children, parents, and student volunteers came together to spend time talking, creating, and getting to know one another.

Participants made photo frames and placed photographs taken during the gathering inside them, creating special memories to take home.

For families affected by childhood cancer, meeting others who understand their experiences can be especially meaningful.

These opportunities are important for children, siblings, and parents alike.

We hope to continue creating opportunities for families to connect, regardless of where they live.

Minlemo no Sato Ibara: Growing Connections Through Lemonade

In September, we held a lemonade stand at Minlemo no Sato Ibara, our developing community space in Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture.

Local high school students volunteered to help us welcome visitors, serve lemonade, and raise awareness about childhood cancer.

The event brought together local residents, volunteers, and supporters.

It was another step toward our vision of creating a place where children and families can return, spend time together, and build lasting friendships.

Unfortunately, we also encountered an unexpected problem.

Just before the lemonade stand, our refrigerator broke down. Approximately 120 bottles of lemonade that had been prepared for the event could no longer be served.

With help from people in the community, we managed to hold the event as planned.

However, we now need to replace the refrigerator to prepare for future gatherings, including our planned Christmas activities.

We have launched an emergency crowdfunding campaign in Japan to help cover the replacement and related expenses.

This experience reminded us how essential equipment and everyday operating resources are to maintaining a welcoming community space.

Creating a place of belonging requires more than a building. It requires the resources to keep that place open and ready for the families who need it.

One Day, Let's Share a Lemonade in Japan!

Our dream is to make Minlemo no Sato Ibara a place where connections extend beyond Japan.

We would love to welcome our international supporters someday.

If you ever visit Japan, we hope you will have the opportunity to visit Ibara, join one of our community activities, and meet the people whose lives your kindness has touched.

Perhaps one day, we can sit together under the same sky, share a glass of lemonade, and celebrate the friendships that connect us across borders.

Until then, thank you for being part of our Minlemo family, wherever you are in the world.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Beyond September

September may be Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, but the challenges faced by children and families do not end when the month is over.

Some children experience long hospital stays and separation from their friends and classmates.

Others face physical, emotional, or learning difficulties that continue long after treatment has ended.

Siblings and parents also need opportunities to connect with people who understand their experiences.

That is why Minlemo continues its work throughout the year.

Our activities include care packages for hospitalized children, birthday packages, online learning opportunities, recreational activities, parent support, and in-person family gatherings.

We believe every child deserves friendship, opportunities to learn and play, and a community where they feel they belong.

An Important Message: We Need Your Help to Continue

As we celebrate another month of meaningful activities, we also want to share an important challenge with our supporters.

Minlemo is facing serious financial difficulties.

We are a small nonprofit organization supporting children affected by childhood cancer, their siblings, and their families throughout Japan.

Over the years, our activities have expanded, and more families have connected with our community.

We are grateful that more children and families can receive support.

However, the financial resources available to sustain our growing activities have not kept pace with the need.

Delivering packages, organizing online programs, arranging in-person gatherings, and supporting children and families after treatment all require ongoing funding.

Behind every activity are the people who coordinate our programs, communicate with families, organize deliveries, and ensure that support reaches those who need it.

These essential operating costs are just as important as the activities themselves.

Without sufficient and sustainable funding, it will become increasingly difficult to maintain our current level of support.

We are actively working to secure new funding and develop long-term partnerships.

However, we cannot meet this challenge alone.

Your support will help us continue our existing activities and build a sustainable future for Minlemo.

We welcome donations of any size, recurring contributions, corporate partnerships, and opportunities to connect with new supporters.

Even a small monthly donation can make a meaningful difference when combined with the kindness of others.

How You Can Help

Every Lemon Counts!

Whether you give $3, $10, $30, or become a monthly supporter, every contribution makes a difference.

As more families turn to Minlemo for support, our activities continue to grow. However, securing the funding needed to sustain these activities remains a significant challenge.

Your donation helps us deliver care packages, create opportunities for friendship, support siblings, organize family gatherings, and continue supporting children and families after treatment.

Monthly donations are especially valuable. Even a small recurring gift helps us plan ahead and continue providing support to families throughout Japan.

If you are unable to donate, sharing our story with friends or introducing Minlemo to your workplace is another wonderful way to help.

Every lemon counts. Every connection matters.

Thank you for helping us keep these connections growing!

Thank You for Being Part of Our Community

Every month, your generosity makes meaningful connections possible.

A care package travels across Japan to reach a child in a hospital.

A child joins an online activity and meets new friends.

A parent finds someone who understands.

A family discovers a welcoming place where they can spend time together.

These moments may seem small, but they can make a lasting difference.

Our hope is to continue creating these opportunities for every family that needs them.

As our community grows, we need your help more than ever.

Whether you can make a donation, become a monthly supporter, introduce us to a potential partner, or simply share our story, your kindness matters.

Thank you for believing in our mission and supporting children with childhood cancer, their siblings, and their families throughout Japan.

Together, we can build a community where no family faces childhood cancer alone.

And perhaps one day, we can welcome you to Japan and share a glass of lemonade together.

Learn More

You can find photographs and additional information about our September activities in our Japanese monthly report:

https://ameblo.jp/minnanolemonade/entry-12979725382.html

Learn more about Minlemo and our activities:

https://www.minnanolemonade.com/

Although these pages are written in Japanese, we hope the photographs will help you experience the friendships and connections made possible through your support.

Thank you for helping us keep these connections growing.