HEADSTRONG FOUNDATION

A cancer diagnosis can create anxiety, uncertainty, and disruption in the life of almost any individual. In fact, the National Cancer Institute has released both a patient and provider Physician Data Query (PDQ) “Adjustment to Cancer: Anxiety and Distress.” In the PDQ, it discusses the anxiety and distress caused by a cancer diagnosis. It includes discussions on the different levels of distress, up to and including post-traumatic stress disorder. A Cancer diagnosis is a very stressful event with significant psychosocial implications related to physical, emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal dimensions. A review of the 2010 National Health Interview Study completed by Kathryn Weaver, Wake Forest School of Medicine, et. al., has shown that cancer survivors are nearly twice as likely to report poor mental health as compared to adults without cancer. And literature on the efficacy of social interventions as part of oncology care shows it will improve quality of life, wellbeing, illness behavior and possibly survival (Grassi, Luigi & Spiegel, David & Riba, Michelle. (2017). Advancing psychosocial care in cancer patients.). Thus our peer-to-peer support programs—HEAD2head and HEADtable—work to provide social interventions that directly impact the patient’s wellbeing. By providing newly diagnosed cancer patients a connection to a network of cancer patients and survivors (HEADstrong Heroes), we are able to provide mentoring, guidance, and hope. Our HEADtable provides home-style food and the activities give the patients and families a few hours of entertainment, laughter, and camaraderie—a sense of normalcy and control—while dealing with the seriousness of cancer treatment.
However, the largest indicator of need comes from our own experiences: since our founding in 2007, the demand for our support services has risen by 50%. Additionally, we receive about 50 requests for financial assistance every month. Our goal is to be able to provide the housing, support, and financial assistance to cancer patients.

Nick’s House: Those of us who live in the Philadelphia region are fortunate to have access to some of the best cancer treatment hospitals in the country. Many travel hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles for treatment in Philadelphia. Cancer treatments, though, often exceed 50 days. Nick’s House provides lodging for cancer patients who live outside the Philadelphia region and are being treated by a facility in Philadelphia. Nick’s House offers the comfort of a healing environment without the financial burden of the cost of local lodging at a hotel.

HEAD2head: A cancer diagnosis is overwhelming, scary, and sometimes lonely. Through the HEAD2head program, newly diagnosed cancer patients are connected to a network of cancer patients and survivors (HEADstrong Heroes) to provide mentoring, guidance, and hope. Patients also receive a comfort kit filled with a variety of items selected to provide hope and, well, comfort. Not only does the HEAD2head program provide services to in-patient, but also to the more than 300 people/day who receive outpatient treatment.

HEADtable: Several times a year, the Foundation brings a family-like dinner table and recreational activities to patients in hospitals receiving cancer treatment. The food is home-style, and the activities give the patients and families a few hours of entertainment, laughter, and camaraderie—a sense of normalcy—while dealing with the seriousness of cancer treatment. We also host monthly events at Nick’s House.

Financial Grants: The cost of cancer is staggering and can be a financial burden for many families. The Foundation offers one-time grants of up to $2,000. These grants help recipients to pay for costs associated with medication, transportation to/from hospitals and doctor’s offices, food, and other basic needs. Money for this program is raised through team events, peer-to-peer fundraising, and survivors who want to give back.

Nick’s House provides temporary housing, free of charge, to families accessing treatment in the Philadelphia area. With two ADA-compliant locations—Holmes, and Swarthmore—we offer residents private bedrooms and bathrooms, use of kitchen space, leisure rooms, outdoor space, and laundry facilities. Patients must complete an application to stay at Nick’s House. Applicants are required to live outside a 50-mile radius of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. They must have a permanent home to return to after treatment. They must submit to a background check for security purposes.Nick’s House can accommodate up to 100 guests for up to 7 weeks.

HEAD2head is a year-round peer-to-peer counseling service that connects patients with volunteer survivors (HEADstrong Heroes). Volunteers undergo on-boarding to ensure that each volunteer understands the mission of the HEADstrong Foundation and the parameters of the peer-to-peer counseling. Each volunteer also submits to a background check to ensure the safety of residents and other volunteers.

Financial Grants are provided to patients to help offset the many costs of treatment. We provide up to 100 one-time grants ranging from $250 to $2,000. Grant requests are reviewed by staff before awards are made. Grant requests are accepted on a rolling basis.

Through the HEADstrong Foundation’s HEADtable, we host 4 in-hospital events annually; one in April, September, November, and December. These events provide a family-style meal and entertainment. We also host these events monthly at Nick’s House. Through this program we also provide over 500 comfort kits to newly diagnosed patients.

Finally, the Foundation uses its awareness program—the HEADstrong Lacrosse Clubs—to not only support the Foundation activities, but to develop student-athletes who have been exposed to a culture of service and sportsmanship. Serving about 500 student-athletes annually, the HEADstrong Lacrosse Club operates four regional clubs for students in grades 1 through 11.

In a typical year, we serve approximately 2,700 patients/families and distribute about 900 comfort kits. But, because of the pandemic many medical appointments were postponed in the last 30+ months. The disrupted medical care created an onslaught of new cancer diagnosis, and many new cases are in an advanced stage. In fact, the National Cancer Institute reported that when medical appointments resumed, there was a marked increase in the number of cancer diagnosis—for some cancers it increased 3 times the pre-pandemic figures. In a typical year, we serve approximately 2,700 patients/families. In 2022, we have served more than 5,300 patients and families; nearly double the number we served in 2021. At the HEADstrong Foundation, we expect to see a continued rise in the number of clients that we serve over the next few years.

With the increased demand for services and the increased staff and volunteers required to meet these demands, we have greatly outgrown our headquarters space in Holmes, PA. We have occupied this space since 2011. Today, our supplies for Comfort Kits are housed in staff office space because the demand is so high, and our space is so limited. As soon as we assemble Comfort Kits and distribute the assembled kits, we have requests for more. Our offices are bulging at the seams. We are currently in the process of moving our offices to Ridley, PA.

With this new space, we are investing in a bright and stable future for the HEADstrong Foundation. Following our strategic plan, we recently began exploring relationships with cancer treatment centers in the New York and Boston regions. The expansion is in the very early stages; we are in the exploratory phase. We have begun evaluating the practicality of expansion by having preliminary conversations with hospital administrators and doctors at these specialized cancer treatment centers. We have learned that the need for safe housing while receiving state of the art cancer treatment is critical in both cities. In both cities, the cost of temporary housing is exorbitant which can cause patients to abandon their treatment. Still, we have much work to do before we commit to opening a New York or Boston Nick’s House. With expansion to other cities, we will be able to provide services to Philadelphia area residents when their specialized cancer treatments take them to a Boston or New York City cancer treatment facility. The new office space will provide enough space to support the five-year strategic plan and allow for Delaware County to remain the headquarters for HEADstrong Foundation for the foreseeable future.