Donations and volunteers help support free services and programs for cancer patients this holiday season and all year-round
As budgets are still a concern and the holidays are here the American Cancer Society – which has provided free services and created a world with more birthdays to tens of millions of cancer patients over its 97-year history – is reaching out for help.
“Cancer doesn’t wait and we don’t want our patients to have to, said Richard Jarvis, volunteer chair of the American Cancer Society’s Inland Empire Community Council. “During the cooler months patients who lose their hair from chemotherapy need wigs and head coverings offered by the Society both to maintain body heat and to improve self-esteem. Many patients also need our free door-to-door transportation every day. They can’t just skip chemotherapy or radiation because they don’t have a ride,” Jarvis continued.
Although the Society has been in existence for almost a century and is one of the most recognized and well-respected charities in the world, there’s a common misperception that the Society is immune to economic challenges. Many mistakenly believe the Society receives government funding to sustain its groundbreaking cancer research, prevention, education and patient services program. In fact, the American Cancer Society is supported almost entirely by private donations.
“Even the smallest donation makes a huge difference in the life of a cancer patient,” Jarvis emphasized. “No contribution of money or time is too small.” All donations are tax deductible.
As a donor to the American Cancer Society you can provide support to cancer patients and their families in your community. With your gift, the Society will be able to offer a broad range of essential programs and services at no cost to the recipient, such as:
$75 - Gift Coupons for our “tlc” product catalog provide women battling cancer with a wig or other personal care item. One wig or personal care item = $75*
$100 - Transportation assistance is available for patients in need to cancer-related appointments.
Eight round trips to and from appointments=$100*
$500 - Cancer patients sometimes need to travel long distances and stay away from home for long periods of time near their treatment facility. A donation helps to provide lodging near the patient’s treatment center.
Seven nights of lodging = $500*
$1,000 - American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study-3 will help researchers better understand the lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer, and will further our efforts to eliminate cancer as a major health concern for future generations. Engaging 16 people in the long-term study = $1,000*
$2,000 - Breast cancer treatment may include surgery to remove part or all of a breast, which can result in major changes in body image. A certificate for a prosthesis and a bra for 10 patients = $2,000*
$5,000 – Reach to Recovery trained, certified volunteers provide patients with the critical support they need to cope with a breast cancer diagnosis. A visit, which includes an information kit and temporary prosthesis to 58 breast cancer patients = $5,000*
The American Cancer Society also offers a variety of volunteer opportunities. Give the gift of time as a Society volunteer at a local office or by participating in a community event to help fight cancer. For more information about how to volunteer or make a donation call 800.227.2345 or visit cancer.org.
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, about 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
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