Bridging the Gap
Offering financial support so patients can focus on healing.
Bridging the Gap
Offering financial support so patients can focus on healing.
Since 2001, Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Foundation, a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3), has provided a lifeline to local breast cancer patients and their families. The foundation has distributed over $3.5 million in financial assistance grants to over 6,500 Minnesota breast cancer patients.
When the diagnosis comes, everything changes—and while medical care is critical, it’s just one part of the battle. We’re here to help with the rest. Every two minutes, someone in the U.S. hears the words: “You have breast cancer.” By the time you finish reading this, another family will be forever changed. We can’t fix everything. But together, we can fix this.
Most costs aren’t medical: Two-thirds of breast cancer expenses are non-medical.
Cancer drains finances: Patients are 2.5x more likely to face bankruptcy.
Work isn’t optional: Treatment causes an average of 44 missed workdays.
Bills don’t stop: Rent, utilities, and groceries are still due.
Insurance falls short: Travel, childcare, and daily essentials often aren’t covered.
Support is urgent: Without help, many risk losing their homes or stability.
Vision & Mission
Mission
Our mission is to ease the financial burden for individuals living in Minnesota with breast cancer, and their families, allowing them to focus on healing. We provide compassionate, direct support for essential needs like housing, transportation, utilities, and food.
Vision
Our vision is to be Minnesota's essential first line of defense against the impacts of a breast cancer diagnosis. Through strategic partnerships and community engagement, we will be the recognized leader in providing financial relief, ensuring a compassionate response is always within reach.
Values
- Hope: By easing financial burdens we transform hope from a distant wish into a daily reality for individuals living with breast cancer
- Compassion: We see the value in each and every person we serve by bringing empathy and care to all our interactions.
- Trust: We are accountable to our grant recipients, donors and communities by responsibly using our resources to make the biggest impact.
- Community: We see community as a living network of shared purpose through the power of many coming together to fulfill our mission.
- Excellence: Driven by purpose defined by excellence.
What Makes Us Different?
Most breast cancer charities provide funding for medical research or emotional support networks – all of which are incredibly important. Because of their work early detection and cancer survivorship is on the rise. Hope Chest is different – we make an impact on the lives of Minnesota breast cancer patients and their families, such as helping with a mortgage payment, providing food gift cards to help with their grocery needs, paying for a vehicle repair or transportation tab so they can safely make their cancer treatment appointments, and in other cases paying for childcare so their children’s care goes uninterrupted during a trying time.
Of the $3.5M in grants we have provided since 2001:
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