Newsletter Spring 2017
Your Monthly News and Updates
Staying on top of all of the different places to stay that cater to traveling patients and families is a full time job! Here are some of the newest ones we have found:
• Stratford Suites, a luxury extended stay property in Spokane, WA
• Paul's Place: Support for Families Inc. in Fort Wayne, IN
• The Neely House, a program for The Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care in Boston, MA
AND our newest Hospital
• Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
Who's on the other end of the line?
The main avenue for helping patients and family members find lodging is of course our website - www.joeshouse.org.
However sometimes those in need of lodging are not comfortable using the Internet or don't have access. That's where our wonderful helpline counselors come in! The professional social workers from the Cancer Support Community (CSC) who answer our phones field hundreds of calls per month for Joe's House. Meet Jody, one of our team.
Jody has worked for CSC for 4 years and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. When asked why she wanted to work for CSC/Joe's House she said, "I was interested in working for the Cancer Support Community because cancer has touched my life many times over, with family members and close friends."
Here are some other things Jody has to say about working with Joe's House - "So often callers are quite anxious on many levels , having to face difficult medical treatment for themselves or a family member, and also feeling the strain of going somewhere unfamiliar. Add to that the financial challenge, and it becomes very complicated and upsetting at times. It is rewarding to be on the other end of their call for assistance, having an option for them to talk to a live, caring human who can take a little time to walk them through how to find a housing location that will be a fit for their needs."
Thank you Jody and ALL of our helpline counselors for being a caring voice on the other end of the line.
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Just the Facts
• In the United States alone there are over 1.6 million people diagnosed with cancer each year.
• About 100 calls a month come into our toll free line for Houston, TX (home of MD Anderson)
• We receive over 150,000 inquiries to our site each year
• There are thousands of nonprofits helping cancer patients in myriad of ways; from emotional support to research to financial assistance.