Joni Berquist

Hope Chest for Breast Cancer

On average, a family confronting cancer incurs $10,000 of non-medical expenses related to the illness. Given that two in five Americans can't pay a $400 unexpected expense, a breast cancer diagnosis can be financially catastrophic. That's where Hope Chest for Breast Cancer comes in. The Foundation Hope Chest for Breast Cancer connects individuals and families facing breast cancer with financial assistance to support urgent non-medical living expenses. We keep patients in their home, with the lights on, and make sure there's nutritious food in the fridge. We also provide help with transportation and childcare so they can get the treatments they need. In short, we we're the best neighbor they've ever had. Founded in 2001 by Barbara Hensley after seeing both of her sisters die from breast cancer, Hope Chest was a pioneer in social entrepreneurship, incorporating an earned revenue stream into the organizational development plans. Located in Orono, Minnesota, the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer receives a portion of its annual revenue through sales at the Resale Shop, with the remainder received from foundations, corporations, individuals, and events. Since our founding, Hope Chest has distributed over $2 million to 5,280 breast cancer patients. In 2018, we launched our signature program— Hope Chest Go. Hope Chest Go is a confidential, web-based grant application that can be completed in less than 10 minutes. When the patient completes the application and clicks "submit," both the medical provider and Hope Chest receive the application. Once the provider verifies that the patient is in active treatment, Hope Chest can process the application. Approved applications for emergency assistance grants result in checks being issued within two to three days. Patients prioritize what they need assistance with, and we remit payments directly to mortgage companies, childcare organizations, utilities or other service providers and provide gift cards to grocery stores.