Crisis Fund
Designed to meet critical needs in the areas of housing, utilities and food stability, the Crisis Fund provides support to breast cancer patients experiencing severe financial strain. No patient should have to decide between paying for treatment, and paying for daily necessities.
The Step Sisters work quickly to prevent evictions and utility shut-offs, ensuring that no patient has to stop or even delay her treatment for any reason.
Here are a few of the ways our Crisis Fund has stepped in:
- Assisted a patient who was late on her rent. Landlord had initiated eviction proceedings and she was due in court two days after surgery.
- Covered the bills for a patient unable to work. She was diagnosed a few months after her husband died of COVID.
- Helped a single mom with stage III breast cancer who was unable to work regularly due to chemotherapy. She was in the process of applying for public assistance, but had been told she was not yet eligible.
- Paid the rent for a patient who had developed significant complications and was unable to work. On the brink of eviction, the next stop for this woman would have been a shelter.
- Ensured the power, water and heat stayed on for a single mom and sole provider, allowing her to concentrate on treatment and recovery.
- Provided temporary housing for a woman living in a rural area without transportation.
Started in 2017, the Step Sister Crisis Fund has seen a surge in demand since the COVID-19 pandemic. We unfortunately expect this trend to continue.
