Pink Heals Lehigh Valley<\/a> is a nonprofit helping people this month and all year long.<\/p>\nThe nonprofit got its start in 2007 in Arizona when a man named Dave Graybill began stopping by local cancer clinics.<\/p>\n
“I was reading an article in Firehouse Magazine back in 2008 about a retired firefighter in Arizona who took his firetruck, painted it pink, and started visiting local clinics,” says Bill Andress, Executive Director, Pink Heals Lehigh Valley.<\/p>\n
Bill Andress has been a volunteer firefighter since 1972, most recently with the Nancy Run Fire Company in Bethlehem Township.<\/p>\n
When he heard about what Pink Heals was doing, it meant something to him.<\/p>\n
Over the years, the organization set up chapters across the country.<\/p>\n
In 2013, Bill and his wife Marilyn helped bring Pink Heals to the Lehigh Valley.<\/p>\n
Pink Heals Lehigh Valley provides emotional and financial support to local people battling cancer or other life-threatening illnesses.<\/p>\n
The organization also works with other nonprofits, bringing its signature pink fire truck and ambulance to events.<\/p>\n
“It just brightens their day; it just changes the way they’re thinking, the way they’re feeling at the time, and it really does a great job of kind of opening up a conversation,” says Andress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At each stop, people are encouraged to sign the vehicles.<\/p>\n
Some write messages in support or in memory.<\/p>\n
“It’s really just a way to put your emotions on something instead of just being in your heart,” says Andress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another way the group makes a difference is through its home visits where first responders and dozens of volunteers turn out in droves.<\/p>\n
“One by one they’ll introduce themselves. They’ll offer some words of encouragement, offer a hug or fist bump or whatever way we can show that they’re important, they’re cared for and that they’re loved,” says Andress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Through the month of October and all year long, the organization provides love and hope one pink truck at a time.<\/p>\n
More information on Pink Heals Lehigh Valley and their upcoming fundraiser can be found at: Pink Heals Lehigh Valley Chapter | Bethlehem PA | Facebook<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. – If you’ve noticed a lot of pink across the area recently, it’s because of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":307147,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[214,153,155,154,5114,805],"class_list":["post-307146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-_homepage_top_stories","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-instagram","tag-lehighvalley"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=307146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307146\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/307147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=307146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=307146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=307146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}