Families Raising Hope
The mission of Families Raising Hope is to assist cancer patients and their families with the financial burden that cancer treatments pose so that they can focus on their health, healing, and recovery.
The Need:
The costs associated with cancer treatment can escalate rapidly, placing significant financial strain on patients and their families. From doctor visits and missed workdays to travel expenses, overnight stays, and medication costs, these expenses can make it challenging to manage essential living expenses like rent or mortgages, car payments, utility bills, groceries, and gas.
FRH is dedicated to easing the financial burden of cancer treatment for Arizona patients of all ages. Our focus lies in providing support for essential living expenses during their treatment journey. By offering assistance with these vital costs, we aim to empower patients to focus on what truly matters: their health, healing, and recovery.
How to Help FRH:
Donate: Financial contributions can help fund essential programs and services.
Volunteer: Offer time to assist with events, outreach, or administrative tasks.
Provide Resources: Donate items or services that can help families, such as food, clothing, or professional services.
Corporate Sponsorships: Businesses can sponsor events or provide matching donation programs.
Fundraise: Organize community events or campaigns to raise money and awareness.
Advocate: Work to advocate for policies and programs that support families affected by cancer.
Engagement in any of these activities can make a significant impact on the lives of those supported by Families Raising Hope.
How FRH helped a recent recipient of financial assistance:
“I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia just 3 months after retiring from teaching in 2021. All the things my wife, son and I had intended to do were just lost dreams then. We spent our nest egg paying for chemo, medications, hospital stays, doctors visits and travel to and from the hospital/cancer center. But we made it through in complete remission, we felt stronger and were starting to get on with our lives. Until one year later we got the news that the Leukemia was coming back. I can't describe what that phone call did to us all mentally and emotionally, especially my son who is only 11 years old (he was 8 when I was diagnosed). In order to beat my AML my oncologist is going to have me receive a stem cell transplant. Every day brings a treatment or another test that comes back with a problem, it is very disheartening and anxiety inducing. My family and I live 3 hours round trip from my cancer center, the first round with cancer almost 3 years ago, we drove up 3-5 days a week, every week for almost 6 months. This time we decided the mental and physical strain of that drive needed to be avoided. So we rented an apartment that is only 30 minutes from the cancer center.
It's been a big financial hardship to pay rent when we also have medical bills pouring in. We received an email from my social worker to reach out to Families Raising Hope for possible assistance. We filled out the forms hoping to receive help paying one month of rent and utilities. To be honest my wife and I did not expect to get much if anything, as it was quite a bit of money we were asking for help with.
From the first time we spoke to Melissa, I just cannot explain how touched we were. These are amazing people who have been where we are and decided to reach out a helping hand to anyone else going through this nightmare. My wife cried the day Melissa let us know they would be able to help us. Tears of joy seem so rare right now, it was an absolutely amazing gift and we are so very grateful to them. Thanks to Families Raising Hope I am able to pull together money for rent to last the rest of my lease, taking some of the stress off of myself, and especially my wife. These are amazing people. I cannot tell you how inspired we are by them. My wife and I hope we can do something as amazing when I am finished with my battle. Being the light in someone's darkest times is an amazing gift, we hope very much to be that light someday, as Melissa and Families Raising Hope were for us.”
Notes: FRH is a 100% volunteer based organized, we do not take a salary.
Website: www.familiesraisinghope.org