A Portland nonprofit that began four decades ago as a single week of summer camp is opening a year-round community center for children with cancer and their families next week. Ukandu's new facility, called The Loft, opens Wednesday, October 21, in South Portland's Lair Hill neighborhood, offering free counseling, support groups and recreational space to families navigating pediatric cancer long after their last hospital appointment.
The $16 million project was designed by Gensler architects and built by Walsh Construction, renovating an existing 1978 masonry building and adding a two-story addition to create a roughly 22,000-square-foot community center, according to Portland Business Journal. As reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting, the building includes a two-story climbing wall, an arts and crafts room, a lounge for caregivers, and other amenities, along with free on-site mental health counseling for children, adolescents and parents.
The Loft sits at 3015 SW 1st Ave, just six minutes from OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital and 11 minutes from Randall Children's Hospital, per Next Portland. The center is near both hospitals.
A Research-Driven Response to Family Needs
The design wasn't guesswork. Ukandu partnered with OHSU Knight Cancer Institute's Community Partnership Program on a multi-method study to identify service gaps, the business journal's reporting notes. Ukandu surveyed and interviewed families before finalizing the building's plans.
The Loft is designed to support families affected by pediatric cancer. It will also host support groups along with upcoming workshops on financial literacy and cooking, OPB notes, rounding out services meant to address life beyond the clinic.
Clearing Historic Preservation Hurdles
Building in the South Portland Historic District, which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1998, required its own approval process. The project needed sign-off from the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission in February 2025, which included renovating a 1978 two-story brick building and securing City Council approval to demolish a historic house at 118 SW Porter St., according to the same Next Portland account.
Inside, the center includes some unusual features built for emotional weight as much as recreation. A dome room projects slideshows of photos to help families honor and remember children who have died, according to a Facebook post from Councilor Eric Zimmerman. The building also contains a sports simulator bay and a dedicated teen space.
From Summer Camp to Statewide Nonprofit
Since 1986, Ukandu has offered a free week-long camp for children with cancer ages 8 to 18; their siblings also attend. The organization began offering a separate free week of camp on the Oregon coast for entire families in 2022, per OPB's reporting. The Loft marks Ukandu's expansion beyond seasonal camps into year-round support for families.
Jason Hickox, Ukandu's CEO, started with the organization as a volunteer camp counselor in 1988, OPB reports. Shauna Lugar, whose 8-year-old son Mason has brain cancer, joined an OPB program to share her hopes for The Loft after Mason attended Camp Ukandu for the first time with his older brother, Avery. Another guest on the program, the mother of a 16-year-old daughter who survived brain cancer, also spoke about what the new center could mean for families like hers.
A Year-Round Model
Ukandu's programs serve families 10 out of 12 months. Its camps and The Loft's support services are free of charge.
The expansion also reflects a broader shift in pediatric oncology. National Cancer Institute statistics show overall five-year survival rates for childhood cancer have climbed from about 58% in the mid-1970s to nearly 85% today, as Hoodline has reported. Long-term psychological and family-centered care are also part of pediatric cancer support, alongside acute medical care.
Ukandu's growth has drawn local attention beyond the ribbon-cutting itself. Hoodline covered a celebrity dance fundraiser last month that named Ukandu as a beneficiary, spotlighting the nonprofit's nearly 40-year camp history ahead of The Loft's opening. OPB's Think Out Loud, which first aired the interviews with Hickox, Lugar and other families, broadcasts live daily at noon and is rebroadcast at 8 p.m.
