Volunteer
Operation Mend Buddy Program
Operation Mend’s Buddy Program is designed to offer family-centered support to warriors and their families during their treatment at UCLA Health. The program addresses the nonmedical needs of patients by pairing them with local “Buddy” families who provide support and friendship.
These Buddies provide local support and enhance the treatment experience by participating in activities beyond the clinic and hotel settings, providing friendship and often forming lifelong bonds in the process.
Operation Mend Buddy Program and Outreach Coordinator, Clare Suomi, works closely to match every Buddy with a participating warrior and their caregiver who are receiving care at UCLA Health through Operation Mend. Clare first became involved with Operation Mend in 2009, when she and her three children signed up as a Buddy Family to support five warriors and their families. Inspired by her desire to make a lasting impact, Clare joined the Operation Mend team full-time in 2016 as the Buddy Program Coordinator.
The first Buddy Family, Dana and Todd Katz, along with their four children, played a crucial role in establishing Operation Mend and the Buddy Program in 2007. The goal of this program was to provide warriors and caregivers coming to UCLA with the social support they needed to feel comfortable in Los Angeles while away from home.
To explore the possibility of becoming an Operation Mend Buddy, interested individuals can reach out to Clare Suomi ([email protected]).