Cancer Alliance Network, Inc.

CAN has supported those at or below 175% of the Federal poverty line and in the last two years has been able to extend up to 250% of the poverty line. Helping more and more cancer patients and their families. The primary goal of CAN is to ensure that we keep the R.U.G. (Rent, Utilities, Gas) under the feet of cancer patients. CAN provides needs-based financial assistance for Rent, Utilities and Gas while cancer patients are in treatment. Giving cancer patients a peace of mind and helping these patients get on with their lives, while they are fighting for their lives. Taking the daily stress off of the cancer patient and their family during the stressful & difficult time.  CAN can also assist with food and other necessary items for daily needs that are non-medical. First, never again have a waiting list because of a lack of funding to help local, low income cancer patients and their families; CAN pays up to $3,000 per household in rent, utilities and other non-medical bills on a one-time basis during the time each patient (beneficiary) is in active treatment or at the end of life and in the care of Hospice.  Unfortunately in the past we have had to put as many as 25 families on waiting lists until grants, donations or other revenue from events have come in and we could take them off one at a time.  Another goal is that there will never be a wait list again. It is difficult for patients to ask for help.  It is worse when they do and we have to put deserving, eligible patients on a waiting list. CAN strives to be the expert of non-medical resources for cancer patients and their families. We work hard to connect with each of our families to provide the much needed support during their most difficult times.

CAN would like to recruit and ensure a strong board and focusing on the priorities of the organization such as the long-term sustainability of the organization. CAN would like to transition from event driven and expand in to more donor development and longer-term foundation strategies. In order for CAN to continue to pay cancer patients bills, CAN also needs to support our own bills and have a long-term strategy for operational support,  such as donor development and annual campaigns that assist in ensuring the current organizational capacity as well as the growth and expansion for the infrastructure. CAN is only limited in those we serve based on how we can support the efforts internally. CAN also wants to ensure that our resources can expand to Lee County as well as ensure we become the expert in non-medical support for cancer patients in our local community. This would help ensure we can streamline our assistance for cancer patients whether we provide them with financial assistance or not.

CAN is unique; we do not duplicate the services of any other cancer organization in Collier County or Lee County.  CAN's staff works tirelessly to find funding for all of our cancer patients -- through grants and fundraising events of our own, and fundraising done by other businesses and communities who care about our mission.  We have the staff, the experience, the compassion and the knowledge to help any qualified low income person in Collier County who suffers from cancer by paying their non-medical bills.  A wealth of knowledge of the non-medical challenges faced by cancer patients has been accumulated by our staff and volunteers, and experience has taught us to be able to assist these cancer patients with what they need in each case.  We are filling a gap in this community.  CAN partners with other non-profits, businesses and community groups to ensure we continue to advocate and raise awareness for the work that we do. CAN's board has worked very hard over the last 2 years to move the organization forward, ensuring we can expand and help more cancer patients and their families.

CAN has accomplished so much. What started with a local group of passion-filled individuals has turned into a fully functioning non-profit agency that keeps families in their homes, the lights on and puts food on the table. Even though CAN has been in Collier County for 17 years, CAN struggles with awareness. Some individuals find us too late or those that have lived here for years have never even heard of CAN. We have tripled the number of patients we serve in the last two years. We have secured more funding to do this work. We have streamlines processes and expanded programs giving access to more resources to the cancer community. CAN struggles because we are too small to have a marketing department or budget, we only have a current staff of 5 and the support needed for cancer patients takes most all of our time. This will continue to be a struggle as CAN transitions and continues to grow.