Press Releases
SAN FRANCISCO (May 19, 2015) – The McKesson Foundation today announced a grant of $475,000 to be awarded to 17 American Cancer Society Hope Lodges across the country. Hope Lodge offers cancer patients and their caregivers a free place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another city. The grants will also support the Society’s Road To Recovery® program, which provides transportation to and from treatment for people with cancer who do not have a ride or are unable to drive themselves.
“We are so appreciative of the grants the McKesson Foundation has awarded to our Hope Lodge and Road To Recovery programs,” said Kristen Solt, managing director, Hope Lodge Network. “This grant will enable us to provide 2,172 nights of lodging, and more than 900 cancer patients across the country will receive transportation to treatment appointments.”
Nearly one quarter of people with cancer will exhaust all savings as a result of treatment costs, even with insurance and 11 percent of cancer patients cannot afford food and basic necessities due to treatment costs. Hope Lodge provides a nurturing, home-like environment where guests can retreat to private rooms or connect with others. Not having to worry about where to stay or how to pay for lodging allows guests to focus on getting well.
Another necessity is reliable transportation, which is essential to getting access to potentially lifesaving treatment. Every day, thousands of cancer patients are in need of a ride to treatment. The American Cancer Society’s Road To Recovery program mobilizes volunteer drivers to donate their time and use of their personal vehicles so that patients can receive the critical treatments they need.
“In the McKesson Foundation’s work with the American Cancer Society, we have seen firsthand our shared commitment to services for low-income cancer patients,” said Christine Lopez, president, McKesson Foundation. “For these patients, a place to stay and transportation to treatment can be vital. We are honored to deepen our partnership through this grant to ACS Hope Lodges and the Road to Recovery program.”
Today’s announcement is the latest example of the partnership between the McKesson Foundation and American Cancer Society to support patients. For example, Giving Comfort, a program of the McKesson Foundation, provides care packages called “Comfort Kits” to low-income cancer patients at American Cancer Society Hope Lodges across the country. The Hope Lodges deliver the Comfort Kits, which are filled with basic comfort items ranging from warm, fuzzy socks to soft blankets and stuffed animals, into the hands of their patients who are undergoing draining and time-consuming treatments.
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About McKesson Foundation
The McKesson Foundation is a healthcare foundation focused on providing funding to organizations that provide non-medical direct services to low-income cancer patients in the U.S. Each year the McKesson Foundation contributes more than $5.5 million to nonprofit organizations working to improve the health of our communities. Over the past three years, the Foundation has matched more than $3.3 million in employee donations to charitable organizations. For more information, please contact us at mckessonfoundation@mckesson.com.
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 2.5 million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. As we celebrate 100 years of service, we're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.