Ellie Fund

Community outreach is an important pillar of Ellie Fund's Equitable Pathways to Breast Cancer Care Initiative. We are excited to be participating in the City of Boston's Open Streets this summer! Ellie Fund staffed a table at the Open Space Roxbury event in June. The Roxbury community enjoyed two miles of pedestrian-friendly roads full of music, food, dancing, and opportunities to connect with local businesses and non-profits. Find us at the next Open Streets event on July 21 in Jamaica Plain, between Centre Street from Lamartine Street to South Street. #breastcancer #healthequity

Financial toxicity is a symptom of cancer treatment that often goes unspoken. We are grateful to The Wall Street Journal for shedding light on cancer's financial toll on patients and their families. “Higher drug prices, rising out-of pocket costs, and reduced incomes create economic strain for many patients.” This is why Ellie Fund has simple qualification criteria for patients which does not require proof of financial need. As long as a person being treated for breast cancer lives or receives their treatment in Massachusetts, they qualify for Ellie Fund services. Regardless of financial stability, no one saves for breast cancer. #breastcancer #financialtoxcity

Ellie Fund and the Boston Breast Cancer Equity Coalition are excited to host a free, educational event, “Cancer Care Takes a Community” this afternoon at Roxbury Community College. Our registered participants will hear from leaders in the breast cancer field, health and wellness, and financial literacy. We are proud to welcome: Magnolia C., Vice President of Community Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Neisha Deed, Founder & CEO of PureSpark Spark; Murphy Coville , Director of Community Health at YMCA of Greater Boston; Dr. Naomi Ko, Medical Oncologist at Boston Medical Center (BMC); Carley W., Clinical Trial Nurse at Boston Medical Center (BMC); Kelly Irwin, Psychiatric Oncology & Behavioral Scientist at Mass General Brigham; Ausubel Pichardo, MBE, Bioethics Researcher; and Valerie Abrigo-Rivera, Bilingual Community Outreach Specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 

Breast cancer treatment requires a high level of logistics to navigate. Ellie Fund’s services help patients address those logistics to prevent them from becoming a barrier to treatment. “I was dependent on rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber.  I would NEVER have been able to get my treatment without the help of Ellie Fund.  The stress I was experiencing about how I’d get the help I needed for the disease was more than I could bear. Imagine, you’ve been diagnosed with cancer but cannot get to treatment locations.  Terrifying.” #BreastCancer #healthequity

Ellie Fund sends its sincerest congratulations to two of its long-time champions, Bill Fine and Candy O'Terry for their induction into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Bill and Candy are well deserving of their awards highlighting their distinguished careers. Both broadcasters have used their longtime platforms to spread awareness about Ellie Fund and helped countless breast cancer patients through their treatment journey. Another shot of the 2024 Hall of Fame class along with MBA Executive Director Jordan Walton and HOF Committee Chair Peter Brown. Many more photos yet to come! Photos courtesy of www.terrenceadderley.com

Ellie Fund and the Boston Breast Cancer Equity Coalition are hosting a FREE event to empower participants to be confident in advocating for their breast and whole body health. This event is open to anyone interested in learning more about breast cancer screening, treatment journeys, and community supports. Learn more about the event and register at  https://lnkd.in/eztcZnfK

Ellie Fund is proud to announce that we were awarded a $135,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation as part of their $30 Million Grant Program! Ellie Fund plays a critical role in healthcare in the Commonwealth and has served 30% more breast cancer patients from year to year since 2021. This significant 3-year investment from the Cummings Foundation will help us meet this rapidly growing need in the aftermath of delayed mammograms caused by the Covid pandemic. In 2024, Ellie Fund aims to reach 2,000 patients - almost one-third of the nearly 7,000 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in Massachusetts annually. Our ability to achieve and sustain at this level is only possible thanks to partners like the Cummings Foundation. We are so grateful to join the ranks of the many other amazing Massachusetts nonprofits that were recognized with a 2024 #CummingsGrant. https://lnkd.in/gf7bRgwv

Ellie Fund is proud to be working to address the cultural barriers to breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment and positively impact patients’ outcomes. We are dedicated to making Ellie Fund services accessible to everyone who meets our simple criteria: Live or receive breast cancer treatment in Massachusetts. Our patient-turned-volunteer, Chorvy, currently in treatment for Inflammatory Breast Cancer, has helped Ellie Fund reach more Southeast Asian patients by translating for our patient services team and sharing her experience at educational events and on our website. #AAPIHeritageMonth Read about Chorvy’s breast cancer journey. https://lnkd.in/e5FFEJRm

It is unfortunate to hear that after 56 years on air, Basic Black on WGBH was canceled. It was an honor to be a guest on the show in October of 2023. Crystal Hynes facilitated an important conversation about breast cancer treatment inequities which included myself, Dr. Naomi Ko and my Boston Breast Cancer Equity Coalition co-host Karen Burns White.   I am grateful we were able to have this conversation and disappointed to lose Basic Black as an important resource for Greater Boston’s Black community.   https://lnkd.in/dEX5KYMJ

Team Ellie had its most successful Boston Marathon of all time! With five invitational entries and two additional runners who opted to fundraise for Ellie Fund, Team Ellie raised more than $103,000, helping us place in the Top 100 on the leaderboard for the first time ever, as part of the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program. We are so grateful to all of our runners for their determination and commitment to our patients.  Sarah Burke Burke, a member of Ellie Fund’s 128th Boston Marathon team - who personally raised over $27,000 - was the 85th highest fundraiser on the Individual Leaderboard,  which was comprised of 2,438 official charity runners. Just weeks before race day, Team Ellie member and former EF patient, Nicole Flood experienced an injury that prevented her from running the marathon. We look forward to Nicole running on Team Ellie next Patriots’ Day! Thank you to all of Team Ellie Boston Marathon supporters and Bank of America for choosing Ellie Fund as an official charity partner. #fundraisingfriday #bostonmarathon #128bostonmarathon #bostonmarathon128