Our Program

Just a ferry ride away to lifelong memories.

At Vineyard Havens, we know just how special “normal” can be.

Why is “normal” so special?

A cancer diagnosis is life changing. Daily routines get turned upside down. Piano lessons, hockey practice and even going to work suddenly get replaced by trips to the clinic, weeks in the hospital and lots and lots of scans. Families miss the way things used to be. And they miss feeling like themselves.

How do we know?

Our founder’s four year old son was diagnosed with cancer. Her family got a lot of love and special attention during his treatment but they all craved their old routines, the things that make up the carefree days of a family without cancer: “Normal never looked so beautiful until after we lost it to cancer”.

This is why we started Vineyard Havens.

Our respite weeks away give families a break from their treatment routines and replace them with - a summer vacation. They can go to the beach, play mini-golf, hike, bike or just chill at their vacation house. We sprinkle in some special touches along the way but it’s a “normal” vacation week - on a beautiful island - wrapped up in a whole lot of special!

Our vacations:

  • Weeklong Stay at a private Vacation House

  • Round-tripFerry Ride to Martha’s Vineyard (with your car!)

  • Professional Family Photos on the Beach

  • Weekly Stipend $100/day

  • Lightly Stocked Fridge Breakfast for the first morning and Snacks

  • Dinner Delivered on your first night for a smooth landing

  • On-island Vineyard Havens Team ready to help whenever you need it

  • Island Dreams:
    Select from a curated menu of unique island activities including a biplane flight, catamaran sunset cruise, fishing excursion, chef-prepared dinner in your kitchen, or dinner out on us.

  • Or feel free to kick back, relax and do nothing at all!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We serve cancer patients of all ages and stages. We ask that all patients and family members are:

    • medically stable and able to travel safely

    • ambulatory (since the private homes we use are not wheelchair accessible)

    • financially unable to take a vacation like this using their own resources

    • in active treatment at the time of referral

    • referred by a medical professional or social worker

  • Martha’s Vineyard is a beautiful island located just seven miles off the coast of Massachusetts. It’s made up of 6 towns:

    • Vineyard Haven (aka Tisbury)

    • Oak Bluffs

    • Edgartown

    • West Tisbury

    • Chilmark

    • Aquinnah

    We’ve chosen this island for it’s beauty, convenience and multitide of things to do. There is no bridge to the island so all visitors take a ferry that carries both cars and passengers. The Steamship Authority runs the ferry service and you can learn more about the ferry here. Vineyard Havens takes care of all your tickets and reservations (limit one car per tip).

  • We work hard to find the perfect vacation houses for our program. Most sleep between 6-8 people. They’re light and bright with lovely furnishings, yet comfortable enough for a marathon Monopoly session or grilling out on the back deck. These are truly homes away from home. Our standard for selecting houses into our program include:

    • Patients who aren’t feeiing well and need to spend the day inside still feel like they’re away on vacation in a beautiful spot.

    • Fresh, clean, light, bright and up-to-date

    • No more than 15 - 20 minutes from the island hospital (MGH affiliate)

    • AC and WiFi

  • 95% of our vacation weeks are during the summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.