About Us
Welcome to Circle of Hope, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that helps breast cancer patients who struggle with their medical, prescription and dental bills related to breast cancer treatments. There is no age or gender barrier to these payments. A criteria grid is used based on NEEDS and not WANTS. See our block grant program link which is a majority of our mission.
Circle of Hope gives clients HOPE. It is women who are primarily are struggling with poverty or financial distress over their breast cancer medical bills. All clients of any gender or age are served.
Some clients have filled bankrupcy or have had to spend down everything they own. Others lack insurance, weren't diagnoised under the MN or Wisconsin Sage programs, don't jobs, have high co-pays, may have no health insurance, or may have low paying jobs with poor health insurance and high deductibles.
There are other breast cancer patients who have chronic breast cancer needs, are suffering from the side effects of treatment leaving them disabled or may be struggling with metastatic (recurrent) breast cancer disease. Some have had to choose clinical trials that didn't work for them, and they may of died from it. Others suffer from depression or even addiction. Some people may not know where their next meal will be coming from let alone how to pay for their treatments. Many of us have had friends who have sold candy bars and other things to pay their breast cancer bills.
Circle of Hope may be able to guide you and help you with your fundraiser or show you how to get additional funds through a variety of resources (including financial) listed and not listed on our website. Circle of Hope follows Hippa Regulations and protects your privacy.
Circle of Hope provides financial support through block grants paid directly on the bills to the providers.
There are many resources on our website, at least a 9-10 pages listing resources of every kind. Please check it out. More are being added all the time.
This organization doesn't charge those who cannot afford to pay. We have donors that help make this possible. Those clients participate in activities free of charge. Just let the secretary or a board member know. Everyone needs to feel a part of something great and healthy, as they celebrate each day.
Circle of Hope believes exercise is imporant to cleints, volunteers, and to their membership. Circle of Hope has two dragon boat teams called "The Many Faces of Breast Cancer Teams I and II." There are various bowling teams, one called have a bowling team called "Save The Ta Ta's" or "Save Second Base." There is a walking group called "The Sagless" Walking Group. We have a golf group called "Circle of Hope."
All donations to our organization are donor specific. No one is paid a salary. Circle of Hope doesn't raise money for salaries or services. All services are free.
Our History:
We started Circle of Hope, Inc. in 2010. It was formed as a MN Non-profit status on January 5, 2010. We formed for a Federal Non-Profit status in 2010 and have our exemption letter as a 501c-3 non profit that is tax exempt dating back to that date to Jan.5, 2010. We were listed as a MN non-profit since Janunary 5, 2010 and tax exempt from Minnesota Revenue since April 8, 2011. We did not start giving out block grants or payments until April of 2011.
We are a grassroots volunteer organization and no one is paid a salary. "We are all volunteers in the true sense of the word." Some of us are business leaders, survivors, supporters, and we value the mission of really helping those in most need.
Our first our leadership team consists of: Peggy Anderson, Peggy Rydberg, and Tammy Graves Miller.
Our first board of directors consisted of: Bonnie Nimmo (First Board Chair), Jim Anderson (First Treasurer), Peggy Anderson (First Secretary/Coordinator), Peggy Rydberg (First Vice Chair), Colleen Hasforth, Terri Newman, Jaima Hanson, Sam Rathe, and Janice Wallace are board representatives. Many of us are breast cancer survivors and cancer survivors. Kim Storm is our board consultant. We have an attorney, insurance agent and CPA. For more details check out our Board of Directors page.
Your Donations: We make sure that 100% of your donation goes to what you have designated it for. We are tax exempt and your donation is deductible, if you received nothing in return for your donation. We do give receipts, and your donation (financial and in kind) is listed on our website. We double receipt everything. If we forgot you for any reason, please let the secretary and web designer know by e-mailing her. We believe in transparency. Other aspects of our organization will be clarified on the following pages, as our website is completed. It is a work in progress at the moment.
What Are The Breast Cancer Block Grants That We Will Be Providing? Most of our mission is to provide block grants (breast cancer treatment payments) to breast cancer survivors who really need help with their medical bills (surgery, chemo, oncology, radiation), prescription help related to cancer medications, and dental related specifically to their chemo treatments. We will cover lymphedema issues as well. WE PAY BREAST CANCER TREATMENT MEDICAL BILLS FOR THOSE IN MOST NEED, and we pay the provider for these completed services.
Many Clients Are Struggling Financially and Not Getting The Help They Need: We know many clients struggling with these issues. We can tell you some tear jerker stories. Women who couldn't get reconstruction due to lack of funds, who didn't get their their teeth fixed before chemo and their teeth rotted out, those who went on clinical trials (it's free) due to high deductibles and died. We can tell you about women who lost their homes and apartments due to high medical bills, patients who left their family with medical debt, those who have had to drive to the to the cities for treatments, and the list goes on.
Our organizational membership includes "Circle of Support," a breast cancer community support group started by Peggy Anderson that has been operational since 2005. We meet 10 x a year, the last Wednesday of the month at the Duluth Grill in the back room from 7:00 p.m-8:30 p.m. We do no meet in August or December. It is a time to laugh, celebrate life, share, and discuss your concerns. Everyone needs hope, faith and courage in their journey. "Circle of Support" provides this as well as free books, resources, videos, DVD's, materials, and companionship in a nuturing environment. Yes, we laugh a lot. There has been a few tears. Individual calls and meetings are are also arranged by members and clients at various locations.
Peggy has a history of helping women with breast cancer, is a speaker, participates at health fairs, besides being an author of the book, Dear Auntie, Why Me? She also wrote the first chapter in a national book called, Reaching for Life that has been re-printed twice. (Breast Cancer Survivors and the Sport of Dragon Boat Raching). She is always available to talk to people on the phone (218.525.1905), as are many other breast cancer survivors on the board. She actually was instrumental in really starting breast cancer fundraising in this community with the Peggy and Jim Anderson Breast Cancer Fund started at the Duluth Clinic Foundation in 2005.
The Many Faces of Breast Cancer Teams I and II: In 2009 Peggy Anderson, Tammy Graves Miller, and Peggy Rydberg started two dragon boat teams called The Many Faces of Breast Cancer Teams I and II. The team captains were Peggy Rydberg and Tammy Graves Miller. (Peggy Anderson has remained the team secretary or energized bunny.) In 2010 The Many Faces of Breast Cancer Teams I and II teams captains were Jim Anderson who took Peggy Rydberg's Team I spot, as she was going through treatments and Tammy Graves Miller was captain of Team II. ( Past dragon boat experience includes P. Anderson being on the Survivor Sistership team for 4 years. Several others were on the Survivors and Supporters Team II for one year.). In 2011 Jim Anderson and Colleen Hasforth have been the two team captains.
Community Volunteers: Participating in activites by board members include Woman Rock, the Sage Phone Bank, The Lake Superior dragon boat races (The Many Faces of Breast Cancer teams), The National NBCC activities in Washington DC, Minnesota Breast Cancer Coalition actitivies, Breast Cancer Awareness activities, Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition activities, Lee Denium Day, ACS activities including CAN, our walking Club called Sagless, etc.
Surviving Without Overhead: You may wonder how we survive without overhead expenses. It is not easy. We have people donating overhead expenses and start up expenses as per their designated donation. People donate "In Kind Items." We honor all people and their donations, and Circle of Hope gives them credit their website. They are our guardian angels; our hearts and helping hands.