People undergoing treatments like radiation, chemotherapy or infusions for autoimmune diseases often face many mental, emotional and physical hardships that can make it difficult to keep up with personal care. Care packages are a tangible way to show concern and provide relief, and one Hope Mills nonprofit is proud to carry this purpose.
Latrice’s Promise is a 501(c)(3) organization that delivers comfort to patients undergoing cancer treatments by providing them with small but meaningful gifts in a box. These items typically include things like soft socks, key chains, pens, inspirational calendars and notebooks or journals.
The organization is run by Vonda Leak, CEO, and Rosaetti Sands, vice president, and was created after the passing of Latrice Williams, a Cumberland County Schools educator who had a rare form of cancer called leiomyosarcoma. Her dream was to offer support to people receiving cancer treatment and dealing with similar situations.
“As she was going through cancer and radiation, it was her vision to be able to give out Comfort Boxes to people who were going through the chemo and radiation,” Sands said. “Just something to kind of let them know that they’re not alone.”
The Latrice’s Promise team, which consists of six members, raises funds for creating the Comfort Boxes by serving as a bracelet vendor around the community.
“We make beaded bracelets, we go as a vendor to different events, and we make money with the bracelets to pour back into the boxes,” Sands said. In addition to selling bracelets, previous fundraisers have featured opportunities to buy goods from businesses such as Krispy Kreme and Poppin Popcorn.
They find patients to give the boxes to by networking with people in the surrounding area. The nonprofit’s most recent development was joining the Greater Fayetteville Chamber, which will give them higher visibility and an expanded ability to reach out to people they can help — and those who can help them in turn. This platform will also contribute toward raising awareness about cancer and the ways in which community members can lend their support to people with cancer.
“The Chamber is just a great place to have different opportunities to be able to speak with people that are either in the medical field or are just going through some personal stuff with family members or friends,” Sands said. “So, it’s a networking process.”
They hope to make contact with an even wider audience and connect with families and friends of patients or people themselves who could use some comfort during a hard time. See more information about the organization on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555949207569.
The nonprofit’s latest fundraiser is their annual Tea Party event, which will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the new Feena’s location on 724 N. Reilly Road. The event will run from noon to 2 p.m. with an admission fee of $20 per ticket. Attendees can enjoy food and drinks from Feena’s menu while partaking in fellowship and getting acquainted with others who may have experienced similar cancer struggles to their own.
Tickets can be bought by messaging the Latrice’s Promise Facebook page or one of the team members tagged in the Facebook announcement post at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DhfRudKZS/.
Funds from the occasion will go toward filling Comfort Boxes with necessary care items for patients. A select number of vendors will also be accepted for the Tea Party fundraiser. Business owners interested in becoming a vendor can reserve a spot for $25 and get their brand out there while contributing to an honorable cause.
Outside of fundraisers, there are other chances to help. Residents are more than welcome to support Latrice’s Promise through volunteering to fill Comfort Boxes or donating care items to the team. Anyone who wants to donate items can get in contact with Leak or Sands to arrange for drop-off.
With the colder months on the horizon, Sands is hoping to connect with individuals who can supply blankets for the Comfort Boxes. It’s also a goal for the organization to partner with someone who can help cancer patients get wigs.
Their new membership in the Chamber marks a meaningful milestone for the Latrice’s Promise team and inspires them to keep moving forward and bringing people together to support those undergoing treatment.
“It’s just something that I hold dear to my heart,” Sands said. “And especially losing Latrice through cancer, I just want people to feel that they’re not alone and there are a lot of people that are going through that struggle.”
If you would like to donate funds or items to their mission or want more information on how you can help, contact Latrice’s Promise at latricespromise@gmail.com or by calling Leak at 910-920-0533 or Sands at 910-495-4495.

(Photo: A volunteer with Latrice's Promise sells bracelets at a market. The funds from the bracelets go to create Comfort Boxes for people undergoing chemotherapy. Photo courtesy of Latrice's Promise)