Southport Magazine

Oak Island Hosts Little Pink Houses of Hope Retreat

Story by Beth A. Klahres

Eleven families impacted by breast cancer will descend on Oak Island for a week of relaxation, rejuvenation and an escape from reality in September. Little Pink Houses of Hope, a national 501(c)3 non-profit headquartered in Burlington, NC, has sponsored retreats since 2011 at various locations across the country, including Emerald Isle, NC, Key West, FL, Gulf Shores, AL and our own charming Oak Island, NC. 

All housing, activities, services and meals are provided free of charge by local businesses and churches so that families can focus on spending quality time together.  

Little Pink promotes breast cancer recovery through opportunities for survivors and their families to celebrate life through the belief that a cancer diagnosis affects the entire family. The organization was founded by Jeanine Patten-Coble, a ten-year breast cancer survivor who started the organization after noticing the gap in services for families of survivors. Little Pink has made an amazing impact across the United States. Patten-Coble was named a 2017 CNN Hero, honored by SELF magazine as the 2014 Women Doing Good Award Winner and by Former President George H.W. Bush as a Point of Light Award Winner.  

Over the past nine years, Oak Island has welcomed more than 60 families as part of Little Pink Houses of Hope.

Throughout the week of September 15-21, families will enjoy a variety of activities including kayaking, stand-up-paddle boarding and the ferry to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. The survivors will test their artistic side at canvas painting and be treated to an afternoon of pampering at a spa followed by “date night” with their spouse at Founders Club in St. James Plantation. The children will attend a pizza party and a beach conservation activity, Leave Only Footprints, sponsored by the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport. Caregivers will also enjoy a private boat cruise on the Intracoastal Waterway. For many families, the retreat is the first time seeing the ocean or experiencing the thrill of paddle boarding. 

The retreat would not be possible without the incredible support of the community. A local group of volunteers called Team Pink is the feet on the ground making preparations for the families’ arrival. Planning starts almost one year in advance. Team Pink manages everything from fund raising and donation solicitation to daily activities and meal scheduling. 

Brenda Downing, a retiree from Safelite AutoGlass, is a Team Pink volunteer who solicits lunch for each family from various Oak Island restaurants for the final day of the retreat. This year she is also proud to present a donation from her company to Little Pink. Downing says, “Seeing the smiles on the families’ faces having a great time miles away from their treatments is a rewarding experience. And encountering the generosity of local businesses, friends and now my former company, is very gratifying.” 

Each family is also provided with a trained volunteer known as a VolunSTAR who caters to the family’s personal needs throughout the week on a one-on-one basis. VolunSTARS attend daily retreat staff meetings to ensure a memorable experience for their assigned family.  While Team Pink is comprised of all local residents, VolunSTARS come from across the U.S.

Oak Island Accommodations has been a supporter of Little Pink Houses of Hope for many years, coordinating housing donations and providing linens and cleaning services.  

“Our entire staff is completely on board with the mission of Little Pink Houses of Hope and we have Oak Island property owners with really big hearts,” says Joel DeMonbreun, General Manager at Oak Island Accommodations. 

Kristin Goode, Chief Content Marketer at Oak Island Accommodations adds, “It is truly a privilege for us to support Little Pink year after year.”

Rebecca Squires, Director of Oak Island Parks and Recreation Department comments, “Inspiring and engaging the Little Pink Houses of Hope families allows Oak Island Parks and Recreation to assist in the empowerment of women who have previously encountered limitations due to extenuating circumstances. Offering services to Little Pink is a true joy for us and it is an opportunity to create a steadfast foundation towards a caring and uplifting Oak Island community.”  

Little Pink is honored to return to Oak Island this year. And the families are grateful for the opportunity. For an entire week, there are no thoughts of doctor appointments, surgeries or treatments. As one past attendee said, “The retreat was just what I needed to help me regroup and de-stress. Most of all, the wonderful families I connected with helped me understand I was not alone.”

In 2017 when the Medlin family was asked when they were heading home, 10 year-old Spenser shouted, “Never!” The families return home with many memories as well as mementos from their week including family portraits on the beach taken by a professional photographer.

Jeff and DeDra Robb from Nebraska summed up their week saying, “The retreat gave us the chance to relax, sit on the porch and look at the ocean in one of the most beautiful and generous communities we have ever visited. It was great to see our kids experience things they would never had the opportunity to try in Nebraska. Because of Little Pink, we have other metastatic breast cancer survivors to connect with in the future. It was a privilege to be here.”

Starting September 15, the Little Pink Houses of Hope flag will be flying high at First Baptist Church, Oak Island Community Center and many other local venues. The flag will be relocated on a daily basis to help families locate activities as well as to recognize local supporters. 

There are many ways to get involved with Little Pink Houses of Hope including monetary and gift card donations, donation of a property or volunteering. To learn more about Little Pink Houses of Hope and how to get involved visit littlepink.org.