FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Financial support is distributed in response to family requests for payment towards their mortgage or rent, utilities, groceries, and gas. This type of funding means that rather than worrying about keeping the lights on or filling up the gas tank, families can focus their energy on fighting cancer with their child.
Pediatric cancer families’ need for stable housing, food, and transportation is caused by pre-existing poverty status, loss of income, and the increasing cost of living in Ohio.
CAC2 reports that nationally, one in five children who receive a new cancer diagnosis are already living in poverty, and one in four families lose more than 40% of their household income due to work disruptions related to cancer treatment. 80% of NC4K Families report a household income under $60,000.
NC4K Mom Brett says: “[My husband] and I had to make hard decisions [concerning] work and finances. I was still on maternity leave when [my son] Owen was diagnosed but ultimately ended up quitting my job to take care of Owen. This puts a huge financial strain on the family.”
The cost of living in Ohio is also skyrocketing. The Ohio Housing Finance Agency reports that 2024 is the second-highest year on record for median rent in Ohio, and according to the Department of Public Utilities, larger households in Columbus will see the cost of their water utilities increase by $15.91 per quarter in 2024.
In the first quarter of 2024, NC4K distributed:
$33,636 for housing
$10,249 for utilities
$550 for groceries
$1,400 for gas
This funding helped maintain the homes of 40 NC4K Families.
Due to a rising cost of living in Ohio and a rapidly increasing number of NC4K Family registrations, we have surpassed our financial support budget for 2024. This means that for the rest of the year, we are truly in need of your generosity to continue providing our families with life-changing financial aid.
Are you a pediatric cancer family that needs to submit a financial support request?