As a young woman under 35, Joan was shocked when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in her right breast. Based on the biopsy results she immediately underwent a mastectomy. She was waiting to find out if she would need to undergo chemotherapy when she applied to the Breast Cancer Assistance Group of Monterey County for financial assistance.
As a single mother of two children, Joan was the family's sole breadwinner, working two jobs to pay rent and living expenses. Even in the best of times it was difficult to meet her monthly financial responsibilities. As she faced the possibility of missing work due to chemotherapy and radiation treatments, her main worries were not about her health but about the potential loss of income and mounting debt her illness would cause.
After speaking with Joan and her hospital’s social worker, BCAG provided Joan with a grant to pay two months of rent, money for gas and utilities and three months of food from the Food Bank for Monterey County.
Without the help of BCAG, Joan and her two children could have faced the possibility of being homeless and without basic living essentials. BCAG’s grant has provided Joan with immediate financial assistance while she works with her social worker to determine a more long-term solution.
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with breast cancer and would like to apply for a grant from BCAG, please visit our website for more information and to download a grant application.
