About Us
About AngelWorks
Since 2004
AngelWorks has helped over 1,200 families battling pediatric cancer.
Our Story
When originally founded in 2004, AngelWorks was only ever meant to be a Christmas program, designed to surprise families that had a child or parent with a life threatening illness or injury with a complete Christmas.
That all changed in 2012 when Ellie Hite, the founder of AngelWorks, was driving to work and received a call from a young man named Joe Friend. The voice on the other end of the line explained that he had osteosarcoma and was terminal. He knew his family had spent all of their resources paying for treatments to save his life and there were no funds left to pay for his funeral. Ellie met Joe and his family for dinner a few nights later. She instantly fell in love with his larger than life personality, and his incredible outlook on life. (and death…).
It was through Joe that Ellie learned the shocking statistics on childhood cancers and the unfairness in research funding. They spent the last months of Joe’s life going to radio stations, high schools, churches, and pretty much anywhere that would let them in the doors for Joe to tell his story and raise awareness in hopes of helping those children that would still be fighting even after he was gone. Before Joe passed, he asked Ellie to continue what he started, and to raise awareness for him.
Joe changed Ellie’s life in a profound way, as well as the lives of her children that grew close to him and learned life lessons from him. One of the simple lessons is realizing how precious every day of life we are given truly is, even the very bad days, and to always to “take time to smell the roses”.
Today, AngelWorks has 8 programs to assist families with a child battling cancer. While the McKenna Maille AngelWings fund, which pays for an average of 3 funerals each month, is the most difficult to keep funded (because funerals are expensive!), all 8 programs are unique in their own way and of great importance to the families we serve.
AngelWorks will continue to raise awareness and assist families with a child battling cancer until a cure is found, both in Joe’s memory and in memory of ALL of the kids that we lose each year.
Families Helped
Funerals Paid For
Christmases Saved
Speaking Engagements
What Drives Us
Our Mission
AngelWorks exists to enhance the lives of Ohio families battling pediatric cancer and raise awareness for childhood cancer funding.
AngelWorks provides financial and emotional support to families with a child battling cancer through a series of eight unique programs which are paid for through our year-round fundraising efforts. AngelWorks creates awareness around childhood cancer statistics and lack of treatment research funding through programs aimed at the general public and elected officials. AngelWorks will continue to pay for funerals and provide emotional and financial support for grieving families until a cure is found.
Our Programs

Angel Party
Celebration upon finishing treatment, birthday, or other life accomplishment for our kids battling cancer

Angel Wish
Funds family getaways for children who have relapsed

Angel Fund
Assisting with cost-of-living expenses for parents or older childhood cancer patients

Angel Wings
Funds an average of 3 funerals and Celebration of Life services each month

Angel Pics
Free professional family portraits in a fun picnic setting

Angel Support
A grief camp and support group for families that lost a child to cancer

Angel Talks
Advocating for kids with cancer. Ellie speaks at numerous local events each year to raise awareness and is open to any invitation!

Angel Claus
Provides a complete Christmas for families with a child battling cancer or that lost a child to cancer
Your Support Matters
Why Donate?
AngelWorks is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization run by a volunteer Board of Directors. Your donation is tax-deductible and goes directly to support families battling pediatric cancer. AngelWorks’ typical recipient is an average middle-class family where one or both parents are working when they receive a diagnosis, and one parent is forced to quit their job to provide around-the-clock care. With mounting medical bills, missing work, and additional driving to appointments, any savings the family had, is quickly spent. Donations raised are used for AngelWorks eight different programs to emotionally and financially support these families.