Dear  ,

When you make a donation to Shades of Pink Foundation California, you also give us the gift of your trust. We take that gift very seriously and do all that we can to honor your trust by fulfilling our promises.

We turn your donations into a grant that goes to a woman in San Diego County undergoing breast cancer treatment. Our grantees are often in desperate financial need. Most can't work even as their health bills pile up. 

In this newsletter, I would like to show you exactly where your donations go by sharing the story of hardworking housekeeper. Carol's life was turned upside down by breast cancer. During her darkest days, a grant from SOPFCA helped bring her comfort and hope when she needed it the most. 


Sincerely,                                                                                          

Vembra Holnagel
President, Shades of Pink Foundation California

"Financial health is just as important as one's physical health."Donna
Notes From a Nurse Navigator 

We rely on nurse navigators, like Donna Thompson, to inform their patients about our grant program and help those patients apply for grants.

Nurse navigators submit the grant applications and help us verify information so that we can ensure that our grants go to the right recipients.

Nurse navigators also have a ringside seat to all the physical and financial challenges that breast cancer brings. 

Donna, who works at the David and Donna Long Center for Cancer Treatment Radiation Oncology in La Mesa, was kind enough to share some thoughts with us.

The Financial Shock of a Cancer Diagnosis 

Donna explained to us that patients find out about their treatment options little by little, which can make it extremely difficult for them to plan for what comes next.

"They may be the only reliable source of income for their family," she told us, "and when this income is reduced or gone, they need extra support from resources like SOPFCA." 

Making Painful Financial Choices

Even patients with health insurance can still struggle with the financial burdens of cancer. Donna tells us that many patients are under-insured, which leaves them with large out-of-pocket expenses.

"Their income goes to [health expenses] and not their bills, rent, mortgage, etc."

Financial Health Is Just as Important as Physical Health

One of the most profound things Donna told us is that financial worry "is often an overlooked symptom when a patient is struggling not only with the fear of their disease but with their financial status."

How SOPFCA Makes a Difference

"We all know how expensive San Diego County has become," Donna notes. That is why she regularly refers breast cancer patients to our grant program. "Having a local organization that can assist our breast cancer patients is extremely vital," she says.

We want to thank Donna for her tireless advocacy on behalf of her patients, as well as all nurses for their  hard work and the love and care they give to the world.  
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Shades of Pink Foundation California
Info@shadesofpinkfoundationca.org
858-356-4204


Shades of Pink Foundation California is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) California nonprofit Corporation.

 
"Total strangers love me and wanted to take away my stress and give me the tools I needed to fight for my life. And it worked." ~ Carol
 
 Two Days From Losing Her Health Insurance...

Carol was a full-time housekeeper when her life was changed forever by a breast cancer diagnosis. 

Her work was physically challenging, and after punishing rounds of chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy, she had to take a leave of absence.

Carol promised herself that she would get back to work as soon as she could. In the meantime, she quickly exhausted her paid leave even as her health bills piled up.

Falling Behind

Carol knew it was critical to keep paying her health insurance bills, but little by little she started falling behind. 

As Carol wrote us in her original grant application, "I work hard daily to eliminate stress (because cancer loves stress!) and to maintain a healthy, optimistic outlook."

Unfortunately, financial stress was making her difficult health situation even worse.

A SOPFCA Grant in the Nick of Time

Here at SOPFCA, we were moved by Carol's story and her positive attitude in the face of all her challenges.

We were excited to give Carol a well-deserved grant, funded by our donors.  Our grant was able to pay Carol's past-due health insurance bills two days before it was set to be canceled. 

"Can you even imagine what my life would have been like if, in the middle of my treatment, I had to switch insurance?" Carol asked.

Fortunately, she didn't have to find out. Our grant also paid for two month's of health insurance for the future, as well as grocery gift cards and transportation costs so Carol could make it to her radiation treatments.

Getting Back on Her Feet

Carol only needed a little help to get her through the toughest parts of her cancer treatment. Today, Carol is back at work putting in full-time shifts as she seeks to regain her health. Throughout her ordeal, Carol never lost her positive spirit. 

"Shades of Pink amazed me with the above very generous and timely gifts," she wrote to us. "And even more importantly, those gifts became my inspiration to face what was happening to me at that point in my life. It was so much easier to deal with the changes in my life knowing I had the economic backing to succeed." 

Carol ended her note by saying, "I just want to say thank you and give some of that love back." 

Carol is a very special and wonderful person, but her story of economic struggle is all too common. It is the reason why we continue to seek donations so that we can help the next San Diego woman who has to choose between paying for food, rent, or the health insurance bill. 
How to Support SOPFCA 

 Hope Partners
Monthly Giving


If you want to step up your donation game right here, right now, then make the commitment to give each month. Through Hope Partners, you can sign up online to make an automatic monthly donation from as little as $25 a month ($0.83 a day) or choose your own amount.


If you want to honor someone close to you who battled breast cancer you can always make a one-time donation to SOPFCA in any amount you like
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