To All of Our Supporters,
Listed below is an update on some families we have been helping since our last report.
Nine-year-old Anijah was being treated for osteosarcoma at Nemours when the family’s social worker contacted the Foundation to pay two bills for the family of five. Mom was on disability and dad had to cut his hours from his previous 50-hour work week due to Anijah’s treatment schedule. The financial instability caused by lost work hours in not uncommon in a lot of the families we assist. Adding to the family’s issues was the failure of the HVAC system in their home. A sick child cannot be exposed to the unhealthy environment of a home without heat or air conditioning, so the Foundation covered the costs of the replacement system for the family.
Dean was not yet two years old when he was diagnosed with leukemia. Mom had to leave her job and dad experienced lost wages while the family of five with three young children tried to juggle schedules to accommodate Dean’s treatment schedule. In order to help the family manage their finances on a reduced income, the Foundation paid the family’s mortgage and auto loan for an extended period.
The families we are asked to assist are just like most families, working hard to make ends meet and to manage the parents’ work schedules and school or day care schedules of their children. When seven-year-old Isaac was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic Leukemia, mom had just begun a new job and was not entitled to FMLA or paid leave, so she was forced to leave the position. The family of four struggled with the loss of more than half their income and after months of trying to meet all their expenses, notified their social worker they were behind on their mortgage. The Foundation was able to make the back payments on the mortgage to get the family back on track and keep them in their home.
A diagnosis of neurofibromatosis 1 with bilateral optic pathway gliomas caused three-year-old Dylan’s mom to leave her job in order to care for her son. Dylan’s social worker was able to secure rental assistance for the family from another source, but when the family car became undriveable and too costly to repair, the Foundation was asked to help with the purchase of another vehicle. We were able to supply a down payment and covered months of auto loan payments to make sure Dylan could get to his appointments. The Foundation also assisted with grocery gift cards to help the family avoid food insecurity.
Thank you to the more than two hundred of you who joined us for our annual Cadillac Dinner last week and helped us raise funds so we can keep pace with the increasing need for assistance we’re seeing in our community this year. If you participate in Lancaster’s ExtraGive, this year on November 17, keep us in mind. We truly appreciate all of your continued support!
Most sincerely,
The Board and Volunteers of the Jeff Musser Foundation