resources

ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES SUPPORTING CANCER THRIVERS & SURVIVORS

Cancer crashes into lives like the love child of an F5 tornado and category 5 hurricane.

It’s relentless, and exhausting, and takes a toll on everyone it touches.

We understand our foundation is unable to meet the needs of every individual impacted by that jackwagon cancer. However, we are so proud of all the business and organization that step up to the challenge.

We will continue to update this resource list as we’re made aware of programs benefitting strong women doing brave things.

Financial Support

  • Many pharmaceutical companies offer drugs at reduced prices or free of charge to qualifying individuals. Make sure to have a list of medications you’ve been prescribed handy. You can find detailed information about eligibility and coverage on each company’s website.

    • Sanofi Aventis

    • AstraZeneca

    • Pfizer

    • Merck and Co.

    • Novartis Pharmaceuticals

    • Lilly Oncology

    • Genentech, Inc.

    • GlaxoSmithKline

  • No one undergoing breast cancer treatment should ever have to choose between getting medical care or paying their household bills. Sadly, treatment costs, coupled with income loss, force them into hard decisions. The financial side can be just as devastating as the medical side. That's why there's the Pink Fund.

  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a US federal income supplement program designed to help disabled individuals with little or no income. Eligibility is decided case by case. If you are eligible for SSI, other benefits (e.g. food stamps) may be available.

  • Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a US federal loss of income protection program. SSDI defines “disability” as a condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death. If awarded, payments begin at sixth months from the date of determined disability.

  • Compassionate Allowance expedites the SSDI claim process. Certain disabling conditions, including metastatic breast cancer, receive a decision within three weeks. Funds are distributed in the same manner as regular SSDI (6 months from date of determination).

  • Patient Advocate Foundation – Metastatic Breast Cancer Financial Aid Fund provides financial assistance for personal expenses including rent, utilities, food, transportation and some end-of-life costs for people with metastatic breast cancer.

  • Breast Cancer Charities of America IGoPink "Help Now Fund" the Help Now Fund is a program for breast cancer patients, providing one-time emergency financial assistance for rent and utility bills.

  • The BMCF supports patients 18- 40 currently undergoing cancer treatment with services to meet daily needs. It provides home health care services, co-payments required by many health plans for medical care, temporary housing, and other expenses for those temporarily unable to pay bills like rent, insurance, and food.

  • The Healthwell Foundation provides financial assistance to those with chronic or life-threatening diseases. Eligible individuals can receive help with copayments for prescription drugs, coinsurance, deductibles, and other selected out-of-pocket costs.

Care Packages + Products

  • The Blessing Box Project help women who needs not just mastectomy pillows and drain shirts, but support.

  • BRCA Strong provides pre-Mastectomy Care Package.

  • Hope Scarves support people facing cancer through scarves, stories, and research and have affectionately become known as “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarves.”

  • Lipstick Angles provides virtual session with an oncology-trained, professional makeup artist or esthetician using clean, customized beauty products sent to you in advance.

  • Tenaciously Teal provides care packs and gas and grocery cards for cancer patients.Hope Scarves support people facing cancer through scarves, stories, and research and have affectionately become known as “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarves.”

  • 412Thrive prides itself on providing quality care packages with items that are truly needed to make treatment and recovery a little easier. These items have been hand picked by local Thrivers who have been through these treatments and surgeries.

Community Support

  • The Chemo Angels program offers support to those who find themselves in the most challenging situation of their lives – battling a cancer diagnosis and undergoing IV chemotherapy or intensive immunotherapy treatment.

  • Cancer Connect has become the leading social community for cancer patients and their caregivers to provide support, share information and help others through their cancer journey. With over 500 patients joining the community each month to share, support, and inspire each other, Cancer Connect has become the leading online community for cancer patients and their supporters.

Counseling / Professional Support

  • The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation has partnered with CancerCare to offer free, professional support services to patients and families coping with a diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer.

  • Project31 offers financial scholarships for survivors as well as their families to attend professional counseling.

  • Pickles Group’s mission is to provide free peer-to-peer support and resources to kids affected by their parent or guardian’s cancer.

  • Cancer and Careers empowers and educates people with cancer to thrive in their workplace, by providing expert advice, interactive tools and educational events.

Home Cleaning

  • Cleaning for a Reason provides free home cleaning to patients battling cancer. When cancer makes life at home difficult, their trusted network of residential cleaners, cleaning industry volunteers, and community volunteers come together to support cancer patients and their families.

Outdoor Adventures

  • First Descents provides life-changing outdoor adventures for young adults impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions.

Wellness Programs

  • The Unite for HER Wellness Program educates breast and ovarian cancer patients about integrative cancer care and provides them with access to integrative therapies and services at no personal cost. (PA, NJ, and DE)

  • Mary’s Place by the Sea is a respite home for women who have been diagnosed with cancer. We provide services, both in-person and virtually, that complement their medical treatment. Services include oncology massage, nutrition education, individual counseling, Reiki, guided meditation, expressive writing, yoga and more.

Wigs

  • Chelsey Smith Cosmetic’s I’m Hair For You Program provides wigs to those in need. They open applications on the 1st of each month and close it once they've received 50 applications. Then they open it again the following month.

  • Crowns of Love is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides high-quality human hair systems at no cost to women who have lost their hair from chemotherapy, alopecia, and other medical diseases or treatments.

  • Through Verma Foundation’s “Put A Cap On Cancer” program, they create custom high-quality cap wigs at no cost for women and children fighting cancer and dealing with the emotional side effect of hair loss.

Fertility

  • The Chicago Coalition for Family Building grants are open to residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri or Wisconsin. There are a range of grants available for different family-building needs, including fertility preservation. Grants can only be used for medical treatments or services provided in Illinois.

  • Livestrong Fertility is dedicated to providing reproductive information, resources and financial support to survivors whose cancer and its treatment present risks to their fertility.

  • The Heart Beat Program is offered by Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Walgreens Pharmacy. The program provides free medications for egg and embryo freezing for women who are newly diagnosed with cancer.

  • Team Maggie’s purpose is to provide financial assistance to young women and men for the purpose of preserving eggs and sperm.

  • The First Steps program takes into consideration household income and hardship cases to provide eligible patients with a 5%, 25%, 50%, or 75% discount off their fertility drug cost.

  • The Chick Mission provides scholarship for women for egg/embryo freezing for cancer-related fertility preservation. We partner with clinics in California, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New York & Texas.

  • ReproTech, Ltd., strives to make fertility preservation services available to all individuals who are facing fertility threatening treatment, therefore we are proud to offer a generous financial assistance program to patients faced with economic challenges, particularly at a time when it is hardest to handle. Verna’s Purse is that program.

PEts

  • Caring for your pet when you have cancer can be challenging, and we are here to help. The Pet Assistance & Wellness Program (PAW) assists people undergoing cancer treatment with the challenges of keeping their cat or dog at home.

    Limited financial assistance to qualified individuals who are in active cancer treatment and share their home with a cat or a dog. This financial assistance will offset some of the expenses associated with pets including pet food; pet walking / sitting and other pet caregiving services; pet boarding fees; veterinarian expenses including vaccinations and appointment fees; flea, tick and heartworm prevention medications; and lab fees.