Call: 218-464-1626, ask for Peggy ; Hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 pm. (M-F )
Areas Served are based on available financial resources from donors. Please ask
first.
Minnesota: AITKIN (MN), BECKER (MN), BELTRAMI (MN), CARLTON (MN), CASS (MN), CLAY
(MN), CLEARWATER (MN), COOK (MN), CROW WING (MN), HUBBARD (MN), ITASCA (MN),
KITTSON (MN), KOOCHICHING (MN), LAKE OF THE WOODS (MN), MAHNOMEN (MN),
MARSHALL (MN), NORMAN (MN), OTTER TAIL (MN), PENNINGTON (MN), POLK (MN),
RED LAKE (MN), ROSEAU (MN), Southern SAINT LOUIS (MN), WADENA (MN), WILKIN (MN).
Wisconsin: ASHLAND (WI), BARRON (WI), BAYFIELD (WI), BURNETT (WI), CHIPPEWA (WI),
DOOR (WI), DOUGLAS (WI), DUNN (WI), EAU CLAIRE (WI), FLORENCE (WI), FOREST (WI),
IRON (WI), LANGLADE (WI), LINCOLN (WI), MARATHON (WI), MARINETTE (WI), OCONTO (WI),
ONEIDA (WI), PIERCE (WI), POLK (WI), PRICE (WI), RUSK (WI), SAINT CROIX (WI), SAWYER
(WI), SHAWANO (WI), TAYLOR (WI), VILAS (WI), WASHBURN (WI)
*Also: Marshfield Clinics in Northern WI.
Our Primary Mission:
Circle of Hope is located out of Duluth, MN and is an organization committed to serving
breast cancer patients in northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. We serve a lot of
local breast cancer patients from cancer center referrals, physicians, oncologists, social
workers, financial workers, nurse navigators, advertising, and from patients themselves.
We are a 501(c) 3 charitable organization serving the public interest of helping people with
a breast cancer diagnosis of any age or gender in poverty and/or financial distress from
a breast cancer diagnosis.
Our mission is
achieved in several ways:
1. Circle of Hope pays
bills for breast cancer treatment bills from designated
funds. Our funds come from fundraisers, third party fundraisers, small grants and
designated donors.These payments are paid to the providers of the
services and
not to patients. These determinations are based on specific criteria. The patient fills
out the paperwork and a
release of information, so billing and other information may
be checked.The patient needs to first send their medical bills through their insurance,
and then apply through hospital community care programs. We are the 3rd payee
when funds are available in a designated area.
2. Circle of Hope has
set up funds for paying bills to help breast cancer patients
with
rent/mortgage, utilities, food and gas cards. The money from
these accounts
comes from donations, fundraisers, third party
fundraisers and grants, when available.
Gas and grocery cards are sent certified mail. These are available when not given out
by cancer centers.There maybe other ways that patients may receive help. Rent, a
house payment, utility bills (lights, heat) are bills paid directly to the provider
of the
service by Circle of Hope, if funds are available in the designated area.
*Financial help is available for those breast cancer patients who struggle
with poverty and those in financial distress. These are patients currently
going through treatment: surgery, chemo, radiation, reconstructive surgery,
and in some situations Stage IV breast cancer patients. These are often
times patients who have had to quit work to receive life saving treatments.
3. Circle of Hope raises designated money for metastatic breast cancer
research locally. Some individuals and businesses want to donate toward research.
(University of Minnesota Duluth Medical School/Circle of Hope Fund). Contact the
Circle of Hope office for details.
4. Stage IV programs are available locally: "Feeling Joy" and the "Compudyne
Photography Projects" are for Stage IV patients locally."The Quilt Program" is
available for Stage IV breast cancer patients in northern MN and northern WI based
on donations.
5. Circle of Hope is
committed toward helping patients with a breast cancer
diagnosis by improving
their lives. This involves many sporting activities.
Feel good, participation and educational activities are available for all breast
cancer patients, supporters and gynecological cancer patients.
6.Breast cancer and gynecological patients and supporters knit, sew,
crochet to make feel good/educational boxes available for all breast/
gynecological cancer patients in the areas in which Circle of Hope serves.
Many others make chemo caps for the cancer centers through Circle of Hope.
What Do We Cover In Regards to Financial Help?
1. Circle of Hope pays breast cancer treatment bills from designated funds. (These
are funds from fundraisers, third party fundraisers, small grants and designated donor
money.) These payments are paid to the providers of the services and not to patients.
The patient fills out paper work and a release of information. Billing must be verified.
Patients are asked to apply for community care help from their cancer center or hospital
second after insurance payments. After this they are asked to apply to Circle of Hope.
Circle of Hope. We do not guarantee payment in all areas of the states in which we
served. The money is based on designated account monies.
Breast Cancer Treatment bills may include breast cancer surgery, oncology/chemo,
radiation, dental work (related to chemo and the teeth are rotten and have to be pulled),
lymph edema expenses and prescription loophole drug coverage.
How does the block grant treatment payment program work? Financial help will be
given based on the application and meeting specific criteria from a grid developed
from the application. The Board of Directors votes on designated applications from
a criteria grid. Names are not used. This organization follows H.I.P.P.A. policies,
adheres to patient privacy and pays directly to providers for breast cancer treatment
services.
These applications will be available through clinics/hospitals, as there are specific people
who need to fill out portions before the patient fills out his or her section. Talk to an
oncologist social worker or financial worker.
2. Circle of Hope has set up designated funds for paying daily living bills to help breast
cancer patients with rent/mortgage, utilities, food and gas cards. Donors designate where
they want the money given spent, and it does not mean there is money in your city of town.
If cancer centers offer grocery and gas cards for appointments or a special diet allowance,
then Circle of Hope does not pay for these services. If a cancer centers do not pay for
daily living expenses related to gas or groceries,the organization may pay for these items.
Gas and grocery cards are sent certified mail. Rent, a house payment, utility bills (lights or
heat) are bills paid directly to the provider of the service. The patient must send copies of
the bills to Circle of Hope. We do not pay for other services. Circle of Hope does guide
all breast and gynecological cancer patients into where they can get financial help in their
time of need (should they ask for this type of counseling.)
3 Circle of Hope is committed toward helping breast cancer patients by improving the
quality of their lives. Feel good, sporting events, and educational activities are for all
breast and gynecological cancer patients. Circle of Hope has a resource library of materials,
books, and CD's. They give out and send out feel good and educational boxes with a variety of
items. It helps to know the diagnosis of the patient.
4."Circle of Support" at this time is a personalized 1 on 1 conferences. Call anytime to
discuss an issue. Peggy will also make periodic calls. We will set up a time that we can meet you.
It may be in the office or we can go out for coffee. We have a resource library of materials. Call
5.Circle of Hope also collects money for local metastatic breast cancer research at the
University of Minnesota, Duluth Medical School.
6. What are other ways a breast cancer patient can receive help?
There are other services offered as well by Circle of Hope. If one does not qualify for financial
help, the coordinator can point out the resources that are available locally, statewide and
nationally to obtain needed help. They also have programs for local metastatic breast cancer
patients.
7. Feeling Joy is a local wishes program. The Compudyne Photography program is pictures
program. These are both local Stage IV programs. The quilt program is for Stage IV patients
along with a large pamphlet by Peggy Anderson of Stages and more. Sometimes other patients
are given these items.
8.Other Supportive Services:
Circle of Hope has a My BC Team presence.
-Circle of Hope has partnered with a few other organizations that can help breast cancer
patients. A partnership of ours: abcd-after breast cancer diagnosis-the power of one-to-one,
Take Your Breast Cancer Journey With Someone Who's Been "In Your Shoes."Call
1.414.977.1780 or 1.800.977.4121, You can get immediate support from breast cancer
survivors, helpline mentors, be lined up with individualizedmatches from Match Mentors,
and they can even connect you with more resources. This is a free service. Check out their
organization is located in Glendale, Wisconsin. Call, and they will line you up with a trained
mentor or companion with your same diagnosis to speak to about unanswered questions you
may have. They want your calls and there is "the power of one-to-one."
There is no cost. It is a non-profit as well.
-Circle of Hope is also partnering with ABOUT: FORCE. This is in relationship to a patient
powered research network. Should you want a brochure sent to you about genetic breast cancer,
just ask. The brochures will be mailed out in feel good and educational boxes in northern MN
and northern WI.
Check out the link join and read the whole page. It is not only breast and ovarian. There are
other types that run in families.
-Another partner we are recommending is the The Cancer Support Community, a global
network of Education and Hope. This group has an online support group that is great. They
are located out of Washington, D.C. Both of these agencies Peggy talked to in Texas and has
Circle of Hope is exclusively educational and charitable. No one is paid a salary.