Archive for December 2016 | Monthly archive page
Dec 30
“Helping Hands” Got Tiffany’s House Painted!
Tiffany is a beautiful single mommy of an 11-year-old daughter. And she’s fighting metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer. A few years ago, their family purchased a home that had been in foreclosure, and the mortgage payment is low. Tiffany is unable to work, and finances are tight. But they’re making it.
Last summer, Tiffany received a letter from her homeowner’s association, telling her that she needed to have her home painted by a specific date. Where was THAT money going to come from? It seemed like an impossible situation to resolve.
Tiffany contacted Provision Project to ask if they could help. Provision Project’s “Helping Hands” program matches local small businesses with women in active treatment for breast cancer who need home and transportation services. A generous local painter talked to a generous paint company …. and off they went, saving her thousands of dollars! Tiffany’s home was painted in a few weeks, and she could rest easy, knowing her home value had increased and that it wouldn’t need to be painted again for many years.
If you know of a business in your area that would be interested in being on Provision Project’s “Helping Hands” list, please email Jan James at jan@provisionproject.org. This information is kept confidential and is only used when a need arises.
Dec 27
Behold the Dandelion
by Jan James, Provision Project Founder
Behold the dandelion.
A weed?
Perhaps.
But maybe something else.
A sign of perseverance.
A sign of strength.
A sign of resilience.
A sign of HOPE.
When you donate to Provision Project, you donate HOPE. And women fighting breast cancer definitely need HOPE.
When you’re battling breast cancer, you have a LOT to worry about. Why are they asking ME to make decisions about treatment …. Aren’t THEY the experts? How will I tolerate my treatment? How will my family respond to me not being 100%? Will my friends stand by me or desert me? How much pain will I be in? How am I going to do everything I normally do AND fight cancer? Who can I ask for help (since I’ve always been so independent)? Will my family think I’m a burden? Am I going to wake up from surgery? Will I still be able to work? If I can’t, will I still have a job when I get back? How will I pay for treatment? Does this mean my daughters will get breast cancer? Will I get to see my children grow up? Am I going to live? Will I leave my children without a parent? Will I leave my parents without a child?
When you donate to Provision Project, you let the woman fighting breast cancer worry a bit less. You’ll help her pay her medical co-pay this month. She’ll have enough gas to get to life-saving treatment. She’ll have food for her kids. Her electricity will stay on! You will give her HOPE that she’ll get through this horrible process. That there is light on the other side. That there are people who care.
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is something a woman rarely sees coming. But no one talks about the financial battle that many women face during their treatment. You don’t see it coming, and you can’t plan for it. When there just isn’t enough money for the basics of life, there aren’t many places to go for help. Through your generosity, Provision Project can help bridge that financial gap for the women we serve.
Behold the dandelion.
A sign of HOPE.
“Helping Others, Providing Essentials.” HOPE.
Dec 20
‘Tis the Season
Word from the Executive Director, Rashida Willard
Merry Christmas to you and yours! ‘Tis the season…
…To reflect… What a year Provision Project has had! We have been busy helping breast cancer patients with their real and urgent financial needs. Some were single mothers just trying to keep the lights on, some were women that had to travel 2-1/2 hours just to get treatment, and others were on the brink of eviction. Provision Project was there.
…To appreciate… Huge thank you to YOU, our donor, supporters and biggest cheerleaders. You made it happen. Matching Mondays, Provide with Five, Giving Tuesdays — YOU answered the call. We would not be able to do what we do without you helping to carry the load. We hope that your support continues for years to come.
…To share… Continue to spread the word about Provision Project and what we are doing for breast cancer patients all over the country. We get so much joy every time we can provide financial relief to women in treatment for breast cancer.
Thank you for an amazing year and we look forward to great things in the future!
Merry Christmas.
Dec 16
Valley Sleep Center Provides Small Miracle for Woman Fighting Breast Cancer
Shanna is a dedicated single mom to two beautiful children, Resean and Reana. Shanna works in a medical office and is proud of being able to have a job that provides for her children as well as helps others.
A few months ago, Shanna got the news that changed her world forever. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was stunned. Shanna said, “I’m normally the one that everyone calls when they need help. This is a very different position to be in, having to ask others for help.”
With a growing mountain of medical bills, Shanna got the notice that her electricity would be turned off the next day. She had fallen behind in her payments, and she didn’t know where to turn.
Thanks to Phoenix area business, Valley Sleep Center, that very day Shanna got some help.
Shanna was at her medical office job when a marketing representative from Valley Sleep Center came to her office and gave her a plastic pink cup that included a flyer about their support of an Arizona-based nonprofit called Provision Project whose mission is to provide financial relief to women in active treatment for breast cancer.
To Shanna, receiving that flyer was a small miracle! After confirming that Shanna was a qualified candidate, Provision Project paid her past due bill and kept the lights on. To some people, paying a utility bill might be a small thing, but to Shanna and her children, it was a small miracle.
Provision Project was started in 2015 by Mesa resident Jan James who is a breast cancer survivor. Through her involvement in a large breast cancer support group, James realized that many women struggle financially during breast cancer treatment, even if they have insurance. In fact, 62% of the country’s bankruptcies are due to medical issues, and in 75% of those bankruptcies, the families had medical insurance. Provision Project provides financial relief for basic necessities like food, shelter, utilities, transportation and medical payments.
Valley Sleep Center partnered with Provision Project because its president, Lauri Leadley, is a breast cancer survivor herself who went through a double mastectomy and chemotherapy. Leadley knows what it’s like to be going through cancer treatment and not being able to work. And when the main bread winner in the family is a single mom, it’s especially difficult.
That’s why on December 12, 2016, Valley Sleep Center donated $7,000 to Provision Project. Leadley says, “We are all in this together!”
“Valley Sleep Center’s generosity to Provision Project and the hard work of their staff will help many women going through breast cancer,” said Jan James, founder of the non-profit organization. “We want those women to focus on fighting the disease, not their creditors. We don’t want them to worry about paying for the basic necessities of life when their paycheck won’t stretch enough …. Provision Project is there to bridge the gap.”
For more information on the work that Valley Sleep Center does, please go to their website at www.valleysleepcenter.com.
Dec 08
An Unexpected Christmas Gift
You’re a single mom.
You have four children.
You have one vehicle.
You have stage 4 breast cancer.
The news from the doctors isn’t good. You get word that the painful pleural effusion in your lungs means you need to have a catheter placed in your chest wall so the fluid causing your pain can drain.
And then your car breaks down. It has to be towed, leaving a puddle of coolant on the pavement where it was parked. The news from the mechanic isn’t good: $650. Where will THAT come from?
This is Rachel’s story. Rachel is 36 years old and has been living with breast cancer since 2013. Her kids, ages 16, 15, 12, and 6, have been living with breast cancer since then, too. They live in the Phoenix, Arizona, area.
When you have stage 4 breast cancer, treatment never stops. When one chemo regimen stops working, you’re switched to another one that you pray stops the progression of the disease.
And the bills pile up. Most likely, a stage 4 gal dramatically cuts her work hours back. Or she may have to stop working altogether. Rachel works 8 hours a week when she’s feeling up to it. She’s not up to working this month. As the sole breadwinner in her family, it’s an understatement to say that money is tight.
That’s where Provision Project steps in. Yes, we could just call the mechanic and pay the bill. But we know that people are inherently good-hearted. They would like to help, but they sometimes need to know HOW to help.
A member of our leadership team went to talk with the service manager at AAA Arizona in Mesa, the auto repair shop where Rachel’s car had been towed. He didn’t know Rachel’s story, so we shared it. And then we asked if we could work together to give Rachel and her kids a safe vehicle. We challenged him not to just think about repairing the coolant issue but to take a hard look at her vehicle and to repair what was essential on the car. He agreed to take a look at the vehicle and get back to us.
By the next day, Jeff, the AAA Arizona service manager, called us back to give us an update. Yes, the heater hose assembly needed to be replaced. He was willing to comp the service … and he had convinced his parts suppliers to comp the parts. Check. But there were a few more safety issues that needed to be handled. Control arms replaced. Check. Motor mounts replaced. Check. Sway bar bushings replaced. Check. Brake job. Check. Alignment. Check. Safe car. Check.
The repair came to $1964.68. Rachel’s cost?
ZERO.
Jeff caught the vision. In one day, he had moved mountains! Once he understood Rachel’s situation, he convinced his AAA management team and the folks at Factory Motor Parts and San Tan Ford to pitch in to help Rachel and her family. He did what he could. And he made a difference in the lives of Rachel’s family. A BIG difference!
Provision Project was there when Rachel and the kids picked up her car from AAA Mesa. There wasn’t a dry eye in the shop. And today Rachel told us that the car now runs so quietly, she can’t even tell when it’s running. Now she can focus on her kids instead of her car problems. Merry Christmas, Rachel!
(Rachel still needs two front tires, but we’re working on that, too).
Provision Project’s Helping Hands Program matches women who need home or auto service with small local businesses in many industries. If you know of a business that would like to be considered as a Helping Hands partner, please email jan@provisionproject.org. Provision Project serves women across the country.