Diane Slocum: Painting Hope, One Care Package at a Time

Nearly every Tuesday morning, you will find Diane Slocum quietly transforming ordinary cardboard boxes into works of art. Some are covered with vibrant flowers. Others feature sailboats and anchors, vintage trucks, beach scenes, or even smiling sloths. Each design is created with one person in mind: a cancer patient preparing to receive a Phil’s Friends Care Package.

For Diane, every brushstroke is an act of love. “I pray about every box I decorate,” she said. “Sometimes it takes me a few days to decide what should go on that box, especially when it’s meant to represent someone’s life. I pray for that person as I paint—that they are finding comfort, healing, and strength in their journey, and that they can feel God’s loving arms around them.”

Her journey to volunteering with Phil’s Friends began unexpectedly. In 2024, she read an article about the ministry in Wheaton Living magazine. After mentioning it to her daughter, she was encouraged to contact her daughter’s friend, Liz Merrill, who works for Phil’s Friends.

Liz invited Diane to visit the Wheaton Hope Center, and everything changed. “As soon as I saw what Phil’s Friends was doing—packing Care Packages for people going through cancer treatment—I knew this was a very special ministry,” Diane said.

Diane began volunteering every Tuesday morning, and two years later, it has become the highlight of her week. “I’ve met so many wonderful, caring, kind people. The camaraderie of the team, the kindness of Phil and Steve Zielke, and knowing we’re making a difference in a world filled with so much hurt, that’s what keeps bringing me back.”

Long before she became a volunteer, though, art had always been part of her life. Diane loved drawing and painting, but then life got busy. Raising four children, returning to school in her 40s to become an ordained Presbyterian minister, and serving as an associate pastor for 10 years left little time to pursue her artistic passion.

Then came the pandemic, and like so many others, Diane found herself searching for a creative outlet. She purchased watercolor supplies and began teaching herself to paint. Looking back now, she sees God’s hand in every step. “I truly believe God was preparing me for something to come,” she said. “That something turned out to be Phil’s Friends.

Today, Diane’s artistic gifts have found a beautiful purpose. Every decorated Care Package is unique. When she learns something about the recipient, she tries to personalize the artwork. “I’ve painted race cars for someone who loved racing, beach scenes for someone who lived by the ocean, a vintage truck, and even a box covered with sloths for someone who just loved what sloths represented,” she said. “I also love painting flowers, sunsets, sailboats, anchors, gnomes, dancing children, unicorns, sports logos—whatever might bring joy to someone. I think very carefully about what my artwork might convey to someone fighting cancer. I just want every picture and every word to communicate hope and love.”

For Diane, the ministry is also deeply personal. Five years ago, she walked the road no wife wants to travel. After 45 years of marriage, she lost her husband following a three-year battle with appendix cancer. “Watching him suffer was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “I know my husband, Phil, would have loved receiving one of these boxes.”

After losing Phil, she held onto one truth. “I believe God can and will use us, when we’re ready and healed, to help someone else going through a difficult time. Being able to decorate a box with personalized paintings and messages for someone fighting cancer has given me purpose and deep satisfaction,” she said. “I truly pray that whatever the Lord places on my heart to draw or paint will touch that person’s heart with a little hope and joy.”

And Diane has seen glimpses of that impact. One recipient shared that he would never throw away the decorated box he’d received. “It is cardboard after all, but it still made me pretty happy,” Diane said.

While her paintings often catch people’s attention, Diane is quick to point out that she isn’t the only artist at Phil’s Friends. “There are so many people who paint really creative and beautiful boxes,” she said. “It’s so fun to see what others come up with. Everyone brings their own special touch.”

But Diane wants people to know that artistic ability isn’t a requirement for decorating Care Packages. “You don’t have to be creative to volunteer. If you can color, you can decorate cards. We have stencils for decorating boxes, simple patterns for making fleece blankets, and anyone can help pack Care Packages. We love when families bring their children. Youth groups, Girl Scouts, men’s groups, women’s groups, college students. There’s a place for everyone.”

For Diane, volunteering at Phil’s Friends reminds her that God is constantly at work. “God is working in and through His children to bring His Kingdom of love and hope into the everyday moments of life. What else really matters?”