Giving Tuesday May 2020
MISSION
A Shelter for Cancer Families provides more than housing; we provide much needed tangible support to all families seeking cancer treatment in the Texas Medical Center. Tangible support is provided through housing, navigating the landscape, and celebrating the journey. All services personify our values of Dignity, Privacy, Options , Inclusion and Support.
IMPACT ShelteringOthersintheStorm HOUSING In 2019, we were proud to provide 1188 nights of free housing to out-of-town families seeking cancer care here in the Texas Medical Center. With the acquisition of our West University property in July, ASCF t ripled capacit y and looks forw ard to being able to provide over 5,400 night s of housing equat ing to over $800,000 in savings to families next year.
52 families housed 1,188 night s provided
$178,20 0
saved by families served in 2019 4
NAVIGATION ASCF Cancer Family Navigators are volunteers trained to help families successfully traverse the cancer landscape by providing assistance with note taking and facilitating communication between families and the healthcare team. They can accompany families to clinic visits and share information about cancer resources that may be available. As we continue to expand our vision, we are actively recruiting and training future navigators and volunteers to extend our reach in 2020 and beyond.
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168
families served
clinic encounters
CELEBRATION We want families to have the opportunity to celebrate what is important to them without the burden of having to plan and prepare to do so. Whether it is a birthday, anniversary, wedding, holiday, or "ringing the bell" to signify the end of treatment, ASCF helps facilitate and document special moments for the families we serve. This year, ASCF hosted a number of family celebrations including multiple birthdays, the renewal of a baptism, and our first holiday party at our new home on Drake.
28 milestones celebrated
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“This too shall pass.”
NOWELL FAMILY | Erica, Charlie, Brooklyn, Charlotte, & Sara “If we could share one thing with the world about the cancer experience, it would be to trust in each other and know that God has a plan” says Erica Nowell. “For me, ASCF has been a part of that plan since I was eighteen years old.” Less than a year after being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, ASCF celebrated Erica at its 2006 Catwalk luncheon. Over the years, Erica’s life would evolve. She assumed new responsibilities as a wife, mom and nurse practitioner at MD Anderson Cancer Center. In time, her volunteer role with ASCF would also grow. As patient, health care provider and ASCF board member, Erica has seen ASCF from every possible perspective. She has referred families to ASCF to receive assistance and she has been a recipient of services too. When Erica and her husband Ryan discovered Erica’s cancer had returned after a 13 year remission, ASCF immediately met with the family to assess their needs. Now the Nowell family is on the receiving end of programs Erica helped to pioneer at ASCF. “Treatment has been different for me as a clinician, wife and mother” says Erica. “Things I never considered when I had cancer as a teenager now present different challenges for my family.” The Nowells are grateful to ASCF for providing support to their family in so many tangible ways. “Because of ASCF, we have been able to focus our energy on being strong for our girls and spending time together as a family.”
ASCF | 2019 Annual Report | #morethanousing
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ASCF's NEW HOME A VisionRealized To better serve the families that have become the foundation of our organization, ASCF acquired and renovated our very own property in 2019. From the beginning, the founding members of ASCF have focused on establishing a community that provides individual residences in the Texas Medical Center (TMC) to out-of-town families seeking cancer care. Now, that vision is a reality. These private residences allow families privacy, dignity, and a safe haven while they are away from their homes.
This beautiful piece of art was commissioned by Houston Artist Dust y Joyner for A Shelter for Cancer Families. It now hangs in our new home at 4115 Drake and serves as a reflective experience for all who gaze upon it.
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Each unit was thoughtfully designed by Houston interior designer Lee'Or Meyerson of BeylaBlue Design and provides a private kitchen and laundry facilities as well as a queen sleeper sofa for guests. Our leadership was intentional in selecting this design to allow families the opportunity to insulate themselves as needed while still being able to care for their loved ones.
Cleaning, prepping, and decorating the apartments to welcome our precious families was a labor of love. From cleaning the floors to placing the last throw pillow in its place, we could not have done it without the help of selfless volunteers who put their hearts into their work.
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JOIN THE FAMILY VOLUNTEER Set aside a weekly or monthly time to volunteer as a cancer navigator or member of our hospitality team. cancerfamilies.org/ volunteer SHOP FOR A CAUSE Visit smile.amazon.com, then select A Shelter for Cancer Families as your charity of choice for a percentage of eligible purchases to be donated to ASCF. HELP ASCF TO RAISE THE ROOF W ITH OUR ONLINE REGISTRY Direct a donation to support a specific need for families housed by ASCF. Visit us online select an item or a package from our Raise the Roof registry. MAKE OR PLAN A GIFT Create a legacy of giving through estate planning. MARK THE OCCASION OR HONOR/ REMEMBER A LOVED ONE Make an occasion more meaningful, celebrate a holiday, honor an achievement, recognize a milestone or honor someone you love. Ask us how to create your own personal giving page/ link on ASCF's website to share with others.
To make a gift or donate, visit us online at cancerfamilies.org/ donate. 25
A SHELTER FOR CANCER FAMILIES (formerly Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation) 4115 Drake, Suite 4 Houston, Texas 77005 w w w.cancerfamilies.org info@cancerfamilies.org @cancerfamilies @cancer_families
Photography Credit: Meliezza Walker, MC Walker Photography