Celebrating 25 years of supporting cancer patients
July 2021 marks 25 years since the founding of Family Reach. As we reflect on our evolution from a regional family foundation to a national nonprofit organization, our spotlight remains on the cancer community we serve. Our mission was born out of the needs created by health disparities, and we remain committed to improving solutions for all families who need us.
As long as families are forced to choose between their health and their homes due to a cancer diagnosis, we will keep fighting. We hope you’ll join us as we take on the next 25!
The evolution of Family Reach
We chose the new typeface with our mission and core values in mind, reflecting the compassionate, scrappy, courageous, innovative, and collaborative nature of Family Reach.
The clean yet approachable font is a nod to how much more robust our solutions are today compared to when the previous logo was designed, including our expansion to serve young adult and adult cancer patients in addition to pediatric patients.
We were also intentional about changing the two typefaces to one and introducing standard capitalization. This elevated our branding to match Family Reach’s successes and opportunities as a changemaker in the cancer space.
After
Ultimately, this logo refresh goes back to the families we serve. We want them to know we are here for them today and we’re still fighting for a better tomorrow.
Looking back on 25 years
Grab some tissues! Here’s a heartwarming look at the past, including some of the incredible families we’ve served and the generous supporters who embraced our mission along the way.
25 standout moments
Christopher Colangelo’s passing inspires his family
Kristine-Morello Wiatrak’s passing inspires her family
The Colangelos and Morellos host their first fundraising event on the golf course
Founding families form the Family Reach Foundation
CEO Carla Tardif joins the team
Raquel and cancer hero Mikalo leave their mark
Reach Athletes hit the ground running
Cancer hero Bethany and family leave their mark
Harrison & Star elevates the Family Reach branding
Mario Muredda, H&S CEO
Carla meets Chef Ming Tsai and Cooking Live is born
The Merrigan Foundation joins the family
Family Reach serves over 1,000 families in one year
Family Council meets for the first time
The Biden Cancer Moonshot invites Family Reach to the world’s stage
Family Reach hosts the first Imagine Session
Family Reach publishes its first financial guidebook
The Financial Planning for Cancer program launches
AbbVie’s $5 million investment ignites incredible progress
The Financial Treatment Program becomes official
The LiFT Network launches for game-changing nonprofit collaboration
Serving families in all 50 states and D.C. solidifies national reach
John Krasinski raises $500,000 for Family Reach on his birthday
COVID-19 sparks the We See You campaign
Family Reach launches the Cancer Equity Initiative
Elevating patient and caregiver voices
CEI Mission
To ensure that any family facing cancer - regardless of their race, ethnicity, or income level - has equitable access to the financial resources that remove barriers to care.
CEI Vision
Give all patients and families the same chance of surviving cancer and its financial side effects.
Achieving cancer equity through financial intervention
The Cancer Equity Initiative (CEI) will evolve with the needs of the most under-resourced and financially vulnerable populations in the cancer community. Our work begins with a focus on engaging, reaching, and serving members of Black and Hispanic cancer communities because of the unique financial barriers they face.
Expected community outcomes
Expand access to effective financial interventions
Reduce financial distress
Improve access and adherence to treatment, including clinical trials
Our Roadmap
Develop organizational capacity and cultural competency
- Solicit feedback on accessibility and inclusivity from community voices within our Family Council, National Strategic Council and patient/caregiver focus groups
- Revise and repackage patient-facing materials to prioritize health literacy, cultural competency, and translation
- Adapt our program delivery model, including our application, financial needs assessment, and outreach strategies
Improve reach and engagement among Black and Hispanic families
- Deliver health literacy and cultural competency trainings to Family Reach staff
- Develop partnerships with Black and Hispanic community organizations
- Lead collaborative financial outreach workshops to increase FTP referrals
- Launch targeted FTP pilots at historically underserved cancer treatment sites” as the second bullet underneath step 2 of our roadmap
Improve the impact of the Financial Treatment Program (FTP)
- Benchmark our existing reach, engagement, and impact
- Conduct patient and caregiver surveys throughout CEI efforts
- Leverage evaluations to inform continued program enhancements and expansions
Racial and ethnic disparities in the financial burden of cancer
Black and Hispanic cancer patients in low-income brackets are more likely to face extreme financial hardship.
Cancer patients are more likely to experience financial hardship if they are low-income, people of color, or less educated1
Hispanic and Black patients are less likely to be insured, leading to later-stage diagnoses and worse treatment outcomes3
Barriers to screenings and treatment like housing and food insecurities are reported most frequently by low-income families2
Hispanic and Black patients are more likely to skip treatment to save money4
“Sometimes not having insurance and the lack of respect and empathy for people’s backgrounds makes things harder for people to receive treatment. Even with a Spanish translator, there are long medical terms or things that are too hard to explain. Things get lost. It takes a toll.”
— Marisela, sister of pediatric cancer patient Estrellita
Collaborating with thought leaders and community voices
As a historically white-led organization, we recognize the critical need to bring in the views of communities who have not previously had a seat at our leadership table. The community voice – from the patient to experts in the space – comes first.
Community Council
Including the voices of patients and caregivers.
National Strategic Council
Community Partners
Join the Cancer Equity Initiative
If you’re interested in getting involved with the Cancer Equity Initiative as a partner or collaborator, please fill out this inquiry form and we will be in touch.
References
- Han X, Zhao J, Zheng Z, de Moor JS, Virgo KS, Yabroff KR. Medical Financial Hardship Intensity and Financial Sacrifice Associated with Cancer in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020;29(2):308-317. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-0460
- Bona K, Blonquist TM, Neuberg DS, Silverman LB, Wolfe J. Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Timing of Relapse and Overall Survival for Children Treated on Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium Protocols (2000–2010). Pediatric Blood & Cancer. 2016;63(6):1012-1018. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.25928
- Barnett, JC, & Berchick, ER. Current Population Reports, P60-260. Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2016.U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 2017
- Lee M, Khan MM. Gender differences in cost-related medication non-adherence among cancer survivors. J Cancer Surviv. 2016;10(2):384-393. doi:10.1007/s11764-015-0484-5
