nonprofit spotlight
Caring Community Foundation WRITTEN BY DENA DAW | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHAN FREDIN
hearts. After Jill finished up her treatment, the pair decided to host an impromptu backyard barbeque following the Race For The Cure as a thank you to their friends and family. “We told everybody, whatever you pay for beer and a burger, just throw it in the bucket and we’d give it to someone who needed it through my oncologist,” said Wolford. “That night it was like all the money in the world. We raised IT SEEMS FITTING TO BEGIN this article with the words $724. I brought the money to my oncologist in a big beach bucket. of LeAnne Godwin, the first patient that the Caring Community I didn’t give her any criteria, I just asked that she give it to somebody Foundation ever served. Like many others, Godwin was struggling who needs it.” to pay for her prescriptions and treatments in the midst of her fight With the help of nurses and social workers, Wolford’s oncolowith terminal breast cancer. Although Godwin passed away in April gist picked LeAnne Godwin, a terminally ill woman with a 9-yearof 2003, her legacy lives on in her son, now a board member of Carold little boy. Now a grown man and an active board member, ing Community, and in the thank-you letter that inspired founders Christian Godwin has seen firsthand the impact a gift from Caring Jill and Eric Wolford to broaden their reach Community Foundation can have. and help as many people as possible. “My mother was the recipient of the In 1999, Jill and Eric Wolford were $724 that was collected in Jill’s backyard,” raising two young children and renovating said Godwin. “Because of this, I’m able to their home when Jill noticed that her son know how it directly affects the lives that had stopped breastfeeding on the right side. they’re reaching out to — it kind of allows Although initially brushed off by medical me to put into perspective how much it reprofessionals, she was her own best advocate ally means.” and pursued further testing. The results were “Financially, it’s obviously a huge help. devastating — Jill was diagnosed with breast But more than that, there’s people out there cancer and started chemotherapy three days that do care about you and are in your corlater. To the couple’s surprise, friends, family ner, and it’s not just you alone in this fight and complete strangers rallied around them by yourself.” and provided an army of support. Godwin was 11 when his mother “It was crazy. I mean, there was nothing passed, and shortly after moved to Florida we had to do. I didn’t know why we were so with his father. Little did he know what an fortunate — we had never accepted help in impact his mother’s thank-you letter would our lives for anything,” said Wolford. have in his absence. Inspired by her words, — Maria Hernandez, The value of a strong support system Jill and Eric Wolford created the Caring Executive Director became even more evident as the couple Community Foundation in 2001. Since navigated the health care system. then, they have served over 4,600 patients “We realized how many people have to and their families and provided more than choose between getting through cancer ver$2.6 million in emergency financial assissus wearing pants that fit them, eating well or affording the taxi cab tance. The foundation works with around 50 social workers and ride to go and get chemo,” said Wolford. patient navigators at various cancer hospitals and clinics throughout “I would be sitting in the waiting room and talking to other Wake, Durham, Orange and Johnston counties. patients, and it was unbelievable what other people were going “Many patients have fixed or no income, and when they are through. Oftentimes they had nobody sitting with them, while I diagnosed they experience a lifestyle change that can be traumatic,” had a whole army.” said Carrie Thigpen, a social worker at the Duke Cancer Center in Like a small mustard seed, the desire to help and walk alongWake County. “Most patients during this period may have to take a side other patients dealing with cancer was planted in the Wolfords’ leave of absence from work without pay, but still have essential bills
“To all the angels who thought enough to do this kind act for someone else in need — I have cried for several hours, because this has touched my heart more than anything I have ever known.”
“We have no financial requirements for patients. The cost for patients can run into tens of thousands of dollars just for a single treatment. We exist to fill that void.”
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