A breast cancer diagnosis affects the entire family. Two-thirds of breast cancer treatment costs are non-medical. The mortgage still needs to be paid, children need to eat, the electric bill won't wait.
Barbara Hensley, the founder of Hope Chest for Breast Cancer, realized this when her own sisters were going though treatment. One of the young women Barbara met at the treatment center changed her life. When she realized that the woman's two young children had to sit with her through her chemo sessions because she couldn't afford day care, and that the whole family had to get back and forth to treatment by bus, Barbara was determined to do something to help.
Hope Chest aims to meet the needs that other organizations miss. Their retail stores fund nutrition programs, unpaid utility bills and much more. Their website connects families with other resources that can be helpful as well. Hope Chest is an integral partner in the BCEA mission of fighting for equity for those diagnosed with breast cancer.
Pictured: Board Chair Callie Biese, Founder Barbara Hensley, Executive Director Maureen Scallen Failor, BCEA President Donna DeGracia
