Free Items and Services for Cancer Patients:
- Chemo Angels: Matches patients who are going through the difficult time of chemotherapy with "Angels" who provide notes, cards and occasional small gifts to bring a bit of cheer and encouragement.
- The Lydia Project: Free tote bag for cancer patients who are undergoing treatment in addition to 12 months of support. $10 shipping charge for those outside of Augusta. Each unique tote bag includes a journal, prayer request card, lotion and information about the maker of the tote.
- Heavenly Hats: Free hats for cancer patients
- Cleaning for a Reason: Free house cleaning services by professional maids
- Bethesda Sunscreen Soap: Free bar of soap through the company's Melanie Policy
- Livestrong: Free resources you can download
- Peninsula Medical: Free LE alert-band
- Look Good...Feel Better: Free beauty program for women diagnosed with cancer. Some chapters provide free wigs, head wraps, scarves, private consultations and/or beauty programs
- Creating Hope: Art kit for cancer patients to help them cope through self-expression and creativity
- Hope Lodge: "Each Hope Lodge offers cancer patients and their families a free, temporary place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another city. Not having to worry about where to stay or how to pay for lodging allows Hope Lodge guests to focus on the most important thing: getting well."
- Cancer Fairy Godmother: "Cancer Fairy Godmother To The World..Help thy Neighbor In Kicking Cancer To The Curb and find free services."
- MyLifeline.org: "...Encourages cancer patients and caregivers to create free, customized websites. Our mission is to empower patients to build an online support community of family and friends to foster connection, inspiration, and healing."
- Cancer 101: "We provide CANCER101 Planners to cancer centers in all 50 states to give to their patients and caregivers in need. Our planners are free to their patients and include essential organizational tools and important resources designed to empower patients and caregivers to take control over their diagnosis from the moment they learn they have cancer through the next ten years of follow-up care." If your cancer center does not carry the C101 Planner, contact C101--they will gladly mail you one. If you are on a budget, let the representative know you would like to have the planner for free; this is not a problem for them.
- Breasts Friends Hat Project: Free hats to women in treatment for cancer; mail@breastfriends.com
- Caps Against Cancer: Free ball caps for patients who have experienced hair loss due to chemotherapy treatments. PO Box 38731 Charlotte, NC 28278.
- Hats for Happiness: Free hats (new and lovingly worn)
- Hats off for Cancer: Free hats for children and young adults up to age 21.
- Crickett’s Answer For Cancer: Mastectomy massage, other massage therapies, facial, manicure, basket of pampering products. Free to any woman with breast cancer. CrickettsAnswer@comcast.net; 717-843-7903; 301-935-4411
- Card Care Connection: Send a card to a cancer patient.
- Head Huggers: Knits hats for chemo patients and sends them out free. We’ve also seen new knit or crocheted hats lying around in local chemo wards, which is a wonderful idea;
- Heavenly Hats is an all volunteer organization which provides hats free of charge to cancer patients who have a need.
- Good Wishes: A partnership that sends beautiful L. Erickson scarves to anyone losing their hair as a result of illness or treatment.
Crickett’s Answer for Cancer: Two
free lymphedema sleeves and gloves to any patient in need. This partnership is sponsored by
Lymphedivas (Susan Niebur, our founder, introduced them in 2011 and helped them get together to help lymphedema patients who couldn’t afford their wraps, a medical necessity not covered by insurance.)
Assistance for Cancer Patients
- Bone Marrow Foundation Patient Aid Program: Helps cover costs of donor searches, compatibility testing, bone marrow harvesting, medications, home and child care, medical equipment, transportation, cord blood banking, housing costs and other expenses associated with transplant; 212-838-3029; 800-3651336.
- Cancer Fund of America: Food, clothes, hygiene and other products.
- Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund (BMCF): For patients ages 18-40; Provides services to meet daily needs not covered by insurance. Typically $600 of medical co-payments, rent and mortgage, transportation, car insurance, repairs, and groceries; 661-310-7950.
- Free Gas USA: Assistance paying for gas to get to treatments, grocery shopping and other places of necessity.
- Children's Leukemia Research Association: Leukemia research and patient assistance.
- OncLive.com "Support and Assistance for Cancer Patients: Resource Guide": Guide to support services (PDF file).
- Cancer Hope Network: Talk to a Patient Services Coordinator (PSC) to discuss treatment, what to expect and other issues.
- Patient Advocate Foundation: Patient empowerment with the help of a case manager.
- Cancer Recovery Foundation of America Pink Diamond Fund: Help for women with cancer.
- Sy's Fund: Meaningful gift for young adults ages 18 to 39 who are cancer patients and survivors so they can pursue their passions, hobbies or complementary treatments.
- The C.H.A.I.N. Fund: Financial assistance for bills and prescription co-pays.
- The SAMFund: Grants for adults ages 21 to 39 who are cancer-free cancer survivors, completed cancer therapy 12 months ago, are on maintenance therapy or are in remission.
- LIVESTRONG Foundation: Free cancer support services.
- National Foundation for Transplants: Fundraising assistance.
- Be the Match: Financial assistance for transplant patients.
- Be the Match Insights: Online community for teens and young adults.
Air Transportation Services
- Air Care Alliance: List of organizations with volunteers flying to help others
- Mercy Medical Airlift: "Dedicated to helping those in need of air medical transportation."
- Angel Flight at NIH (National Institute of Health): "...Ensures that no financially needy patient is denied access to distant specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis or treatment for lack of a means of long-distant medical air transportation"
- Airlift Hope: "...Services to assist children and adults who cannot afford other means of long-distance transportation"
- Corporate Angel Network: "We arrange free air transportation for cancer patients traveling to treatment using the empty seats on corporate jets."
- Air Charity Network: "...provides access for people in need seeking free air transportation to specialized health care facilities or distant destinations due to family, community or national crisis."
Books with Recipes or Nutritional Information for Cancer Patients:
Neutropenic Diet Info.:
Advocacy:
- MoreBirthdays.com
- American Cancer Society: Find Support Programs and Services in Your Area
- The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults: "We enhance lives by supporting, educating and connecting young adults, and their loved ones, affected by cancer."
- LIVESTRONG Young Adult Alliance: "The LIVESTRONG Young Adult Alliance is a coalition of organizations with the goal to improve the survival rates and quality of life for young adults with cancer between the ages of 15 and 40. The Alliance is committed to promoting research and the investigation of the problem, serving as a voice for the issue and promoting effective solutions."
- I'm Too Young for This! [i2y] Cancer Foundation: "We exist to ensure that these young adults are made aware of – and given access to – our global support community and the wealth of age-appropriate resources that they are entitled to so they can get busy living."
- DetermiNation: "The American Cancer Society DetermiNation program will help you do the unthinkable, achieve what seems impossible, and change the course of cancer forever. With access to professional training, an unparalleled community of support, and inspiration every step of the way, the American Cancer Society will help you finish a half-marathon, marathon, or triathlon. Your personal race victory will change your life, but the finish line will be just the beginning. Because your triumph also means a triumph over cancer - where every step you take and every mile you conquer will create a world with less cancer and more birthdays."
Links for Caregivers
- American Cancer Society: Caregivers, Find Support & Treatment
- Hope Lodge: "Each Hope Lodge offers cancer patients and their families a free, temporary place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another city. Not having to worry about where to stay or how to pay for lodging allows Hope Lodge guests to focus on the most important thing: getting well."
- Family Caregiver Alliance: resources and advocacy for family caregivers
- Caregiver.com: "For, About and By Caregivers"
- Lotsa Helping Hands: "...a private, web-based caregiving coordination service that allows family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to create a community to assist a family caregiver with the daily tasks that become a challenge during times of medical crisis, caregiver exhaustion, or when caring for an elderly parent."
- Strength for Caring: "A place just for caregivers"
- Me & My Caregivers: Personal health organizer & communications hub
- HealthMark Cancer Caregiving: Tools to help you help
- Long Distance Caregiving: " Dedicated to You - the Long Distance Caregiver – Who Must Also Love and Care for Yourself"
- Cancer 101: "We provide CANCER101 Planners to cancer centers in all 50 states to give to their patients and caregivers in need. Our planners are free to their patients and include essential organizational tools and important resources designed to empower patients and caregivers to take control over their diagnosis from the moment they learn they have cancer through the next ten years of follow-up care." If your cancer center does not carry the C101 Planner, contact C101--they will gladly mail you one. If you are on a budget, let the representative know you would like to have the planner for free; this is not a problem for them.
