HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation’s (JAF) assistance for Household Expenses supports basic, monthly expenses such as rent/mortgage, car payments or insurance, and utilities.
Financial assistance for these needs has been the Foundation’s core lifeline for patients and their families since its inception. 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 of receipt—those approved grant awards/checks are mailed directly to the provider/vendor (i.e., Verizon, National Grid, Bank of America).
Patients can apply (through their social worker) up to two additional times. Each application must be made 12 months after the previous grant approval and still meet eligibility requirements. Awards are a maximum of $500 for the second grant and up to $300 for the third grant.
FOOD
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) Food Security Assistance, 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 additional JAF assistance through their social worker or patient navigator. Patients are eligible to reapply (through their social worker) 12 months after their last grant if they still meet JAF eligibility requirements.
Foundation staff review applications within ten business days. Approved applicants will receive gift cards in the mail directly to the applicant’s home address.
TRANSPORTATION
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) Transportation assistance provides free transportation to medical treatment and appointments for patients through our partnership with Lyft. (MASSACHUSETTS 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 new 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.
Patients work directly with their social worker, patient navigator, resource specialist, or another healthcare professional familiar with their treatment to schedule rides. Massachusetts healthcare partners, patients, or caregivers wanting to learn more about applying for transportation assistance, email Katie Haidemenos at ttp@joeandruzzifoundation.org.
NOTE: Transportation assistance is currently available in Massachusetts. JAF hopes to expand this serve to additional states as funding allows.
EXTRAORDINARY NEEDS
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) Extraordinary Needs 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 pediatric 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 a Peloton bike a patient used for rehabilitation purposes.
Patients work directly with their social worker, patient navigator, resource specialist, or another healthcare professional familiar with their treatment to apply.