FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation’s (JAF) Financial Assistance Program supports basic, household, monthly expenses such as rent/mortgage, car payments or insurance, and utilities.
Financial Assistance for these needs has been the Foundation’s lifeline for patients and their families since 2008. JAF provides grants of up to $800 to help patients battling cancer focus on treatment and not worry about household bills. Patients living in New England of all ages with all types of cancer can apply for assistance. The Program does not cover credit card bills or medical-related expenses.
To qualify, a patient must be a New England resident in active cancer treatment and provide financial documentation for any contributing household members.
Patients work directly with their social worker, patient navigator, resource specialist, or similar healthcare professional familiar with their treatment to apply for financial assistance. Foundation staff review applications within three to five weeks of receipt—those approved grant awards/checks are mailed directly to the provider/vendor (e.g. Verizon, National Grid, Bank of America).
FOOD SECURITY
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) Food Security Program, presented by AmpliX, provides New England cancer patients and their families with gift cards to various regional grocery stores.
Launched in 2021, this program gives patients access to proper and necessary nutrition during treatment. Eligible patients receive gift cards to either Stop & Shop, Shaw’s, Big Y, Market Basket, or Hannaford. A household of one person receives $150, a household of 2-4 people receives $250, and a household of five or more people receives $300.
Patients work directly with their social worker, patient navigator, resource specialist, or another healthcare professional familiar with their treatment to apply for assistance. They must be in active treatment at the time of their application. Recipients can also apply for other types of JAF assistance through their social worker or patient navigator.
Foundation staff review applications within ten business days. Approved applicants will receive gift cards in the mail directly to the applicant’s home address.
TREATMENT TRANSPORTATION
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) Treatment Transportation Program provides free transportation to medical treatment and appointments for cancer patients through our partnership with Lyft. (MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND ONLY)
JAF understands that sometimes the challenge of adhering to cancer treatment is getting there, and, as of January 2022, the Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) offers free rides for patients through our partnership with Lyft and local cab companies. In the first year alone, JAF provided more than 4,000 free rides to ensure that patients could get to their medical treatments and support services across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Learn more about the impact JAF’s Treatment Transportation Program has for patients by watching this video HERE.
Patients work directly with their social worker, patient navigator, resource specialist, or another healthcare professional familiar with their treatment to schedule rides. Massachusetts and Rhode Island healthcare partners, patients, or caregivers wanting to learn more about applying for transportation assistance, email ttp@joeandruzzifoundation.org.
NOTE: Transportation assistance is currently available in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. JAF hopes to expand this serve to additional states as funding allows.
EXTRAORDINARY NEEDS
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) Extraordinary Needs Program grants New England cancer patients and their families with assistance for project-based needs that present a barrier to treatment.
Extraordinary Needs supports New England cancer patients and their families with a one-time grant of up to $4,000 for project-based needs that present a barrier to treatment for a patient such as fertility preservation, dental work, and required home improvement projects needed to provide the patient with high-priority necessities. Past examples of needs granted to patients include a down payment for a car so the family could have reliable transportation to treatment and dental work required before starting a course of treatment.
Patients work directly with their social worker, patient navigator, resource specialist, or another healthcare professional familiar with their treatment to apply.