Our Story

A local group of oncology doctors and nurses observed women having to making a choice between receiving their cancer treatments and providing for their families. A small “patient fund” was started which allowed staff to contribute from their own pockets to help buy groceries, gasoline, and other critical needs for their struggling patients. The need continued to grow and in 2003 The Hope Chest for Women was born!

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The Hope Chest for Women, Inc. was founded in 2003 to help relieve some of the financial burdens created by breast or gynecological cancer treatment costs.

We are a 501(c)(3) that offers financial assistance for both medical and non-medical expenses, along with information on community resources, education on cancer prevention, and emotional support.  Most importantly we give hope to women in Western North Carolina living with breast or gynecological cancers.

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We support women living in all 22 counties of WNC or women living outside this area if they are receiving treatment within our service area. Our target population is women diagnosed or at risk for breast and gynecologic cancer. Most women living in Appalachia, are under-insured and/or fall into financial hardship due to the cost of cancer treatment. Nearly 1 in 3 cannot work or will lose their jobs due to the side effects caused by treatment.

The Hope Chest for Women offers limited financial assistance to women to assist with:

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• Rent & Mortgage Assistance

• Medical Bills & Prescription Co-pays

• Gas & Transportation Assistance

• Utility Bills

• Food & supplements

• Lymphedema garments

• Other unmet needs

Women often struggle to pay these costs as they deal with the loss of income and the increasing burden of medical expenses connected cancer treatment.  The Hope Chest for Women was created because we observed women having to choose between receiving treatment and providing for their families.

“It’s truly a blessing to know that people donate to something like this to help others,” one client said. “It’s a wonderful gift for those who are faced with these tough choices in this situation.”