What started with colorful socks for cancer patients has grown into a mission focused on compassion, community impact, and expanding opportunities for others.
Having experienced cervical cancer herself, Lori Bollinger understood how isolating treatment could feel. She founded Happy Soles in 2018 to bring moments of comfort to others through colorful socks and care packages for cancer patients and individuals facing fertility challenges, many of whom were navigating those struggles within her own extended family. These small gestures served as reminders that no one had to face those journeys alone. Since its founding, Happy Soles has donated more than 5,000 pairs of socks to patients.
Happy Soles’ mission took on even deeper meaning when Lori’s sister-in-law, Janet Bollinger Doherty, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Janet became a passionate advocate for cancer patients whose treatments threatened their ability to have children, helping shine a light on an often-overlooked consequence of cancer care. After a courageous 10-year battle, Janet passed away from breast cancer, but her commitment to supporting patients facing fertility challenges continues to shape Happy Soles’ work and legacy.
That experience led Happy Soles to expand its focus to oncofertility, the intersection of cancer treatment and reproductive health.
“Happy Soles was created to give hope to patients facing the dual challenge of a cancer diagnosis and the possibility of infertility.” – Lori Bollinger
In 2023, Happy Soles became a program of The Community’s Foundation (TCF), allowing Lori to focus on serving patients while TCF provides the charitable infrastructure needed to support and grow the fund.
Beyond grants, in 2024, the organization launched the Janet Bollinger Doherty Law School Scholarship in memory of Lori’s sister-in-law, who passed away after her battle with cancer. Named to memorialize Janet’s compassion, resilience, and commitment to helping others, the scholarship supports future legal professionals while celebrating a legacy of service and generosity.
The organization’s impact continues to expand. In fiscal year 2025-2026, Happy Soles provided grants totaling $20,000 to support fertility preservation services through Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), helping children and adolescents facing cancer preserve family planning options for the future.
Today, the organization provides grants that help area cancer patients fund their fertility journeys. Since January 1, 2023, Happy Soles has generated more than $100,000 in net proceeds to support its mission and has distributed more than $44,000 in grants and scholarships to date and continues to evolve and expand its mission strategically.
As Lori shared during TCF’s 2026 Community Celebration:
“TCF allows my fund to support our local community without the stress of managing the burden of filing for a nonprofit status. This allows us to focus on our mission of providing grants to area cancer patients to help fund their fertility journeys. This helps us get services to those in need in a timely manner without the red tape.” – Lori Bollinger
Through its partnership with TCF, Happy Soles continues to transform personal experiences into meaningful community impact, providing comfort, hope, and future possibilities for those who need them most.
*Figures shared in this post reflect the most current fundraising and distribution totals available as of June 30th, 2026
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Want to learn more about this story? Explore related photos, videos, resources, and opportunities connected to the people, programs, and impact featured here.
- Visit https://happy-soles.org/
- Make a donation here
- Listen to Lori Bollinger on the What’s Happening Delco Podcast
- Apply for an oncofertility grant
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