A cancer diagnosis often brings financial devastation to patients and their families. Unexpected and very often exorbitant medical expenses leave families having to choose between paying for treatment or paying for household bills.
Since 2019, Empower Retirement has been supporting the Joe Andruzzi Foundation’s (JAF) Bridge Builder monthly giving program, which provides consistent, sustainable funding to JAF’s patient grant recipients. As the nation’s second-largest retirement plan provider, Empower Retirement understands the importance of financial stability for individuals and families. In 2020, during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, Empower stepped up again to provide a lifeline to JAF and those the Foundation serves.
By pledging monthly gifts, Bridge Builders have provided JAF with consistent and dependable funding to assist the ever-growing number of households who are facing financial barriers during cancer treatment and need support. Empower has helped JAF activate 60 Bridge Builder monthly donors whose annual support to date has totaled more than $30,000. Many of JAF’s current Bridge Builders have battled, or has had a family member battle, cancer during their lifetime.
“I know firsthand how a cancer diagnosis can turn a family’s world upside down. In February of this year, my father was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic prostate cancer. Just a few weeks later, my little sister was diagnosed with Stage III ovarian cancer. Needless to say, it’s been a trying year for my family. So, helping families navigate the turmoil and financial stress in the wake of a cancer diagnosis is personal to me and I am grateful to have the opportunity to give back through the Bridge Builder program,” said Paul Keenan, who became a monthly Bridge Builder donor in November 2021.
For the month of December, JAF and Empower is hoping to grow the Bridge Builder community with an incentive to cap off 2021! From now until the end of 2021, all new JAF Bridge Builders pledging to donate at least $10/month will receive a JAF winter pom hat! JAF accepts multiple forms of payment, including PayPal and Apple Pay. Learn more about the Bridge Builder program, and how to sign up to be a monthly donor at our website here.
As the year comes to a close, please consider becoming a Bridge Builder. Your monthly gift will help create a reliable source of funding to support more patients living with cancer and their families in 2022 and beyond.