For Immediate Release
May 17, 2018
Contact: Kristen Smith, Maine Cancer Foundation
207-773-2533 or kristen@mainecancer.org
Maine Cancer Foundation Partners with John T. Gorman Foundation on Cancer Programs
Funding will support transportation, lodging, and hospice services for Maine cancer patients
FALMOUTH, Maine – The Maine Cancer Foundation (MCF) and the John T. Gorman Foundation are joining forces in the fight against cancer. The two organizations partnered to establish the John T. Gorman Fund at MCF which will capitalize on MCF’s 43-year history as the statewide leader in the fight against cancer to ensure that the John T. Gorman Foundation’s investment in cancer programming has maximum impact. In 2018, the inter-organizational collaboration will support increased access to transportation and lodging services for Maine cancer patients and boost hospice services available for Maine cancer patients, their caretakers, family and friends.
“Maine Cancer Foundation is dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer on Mainers, while the John T. Gorman Foundation strives to improve the lives of Maine’s most vulnerable people,” says MCF’s Executive Director, Tara Hill. “By collaborating to distribute these much-needed funds, we are able to apply our expertise about the cancer landscape of Maine to ensure that these valuable dollars have the maximum impact on Mainers with cancer.”
“As we looked at how best to honor Tom Gorman’s legacy and partner with an organization that could bring an evidence-based, visionary approach to cancer support in Maine, we knew Maine Cancer Foundation was the perfect fit,” said Tony Cipollone, President and CEO of the John T. Gorman Foundation. “We’re confident that together we can truly move the needle on cancer treatment in Maine.”
The fund was established with an initial investment of $150,000 which MCF will distribute through a competitive grant process to non-profits around the state. The first round of funding will support hospice care for cancer patients, with a Request for Proposals that will be published in mid-May and grants awarded in June. Additional funding planned for 2018 will focus on providing transportation and lodging services for cancer patients, with an RFP expected in the fall.
Hospice services, considered the model for quality, compassionate care for people facing a terminal illness, involve a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the individual patient and their loved ones. In 2018, through the John T. Gorman Fund, MCF will award grants of $5,000-$10,000 to increase hospice services available for Maine’s cancer patients, their caretakers, family, and friends. Up to $50,000 will be distributed across Maine’s network of hospice services that extends from Caribou to Kittery, providing crucial support and services to cancer patients and their families as they approach the end of the life.
In addition, MCF will utilize $100,000 from the John T. Gorman Fund to increase transportation and lodging supports for Maine’s cancer patients and their families, which will boost MCF’s planned 2018 investment of $200,000. Three counties in Maine have no oncology providers and nine lack radiation treatment services. Those living in isolated rural areas travel an average of 60 miles to receive treatment, compared to 14 for those in metro areas. Three-quarters of transportation providers who provide transportation for cancer patients rely on volunteer drivers and half do not have adequate funding to meet demand.
“We know that access to cancer care is one of the most pressing issues facing Mainers, and that many of our communities lack cancer services, or a robust transportation system to help people get to where the care is,” asserts Aysha Sheikh, Director of Programming at MCF. “The addition of the John T. Gorman Foundation Fund will enable us to amplify MCF’s investment in transportation resources around the state, ensuring that all Mainers can get to the best available care.”
Maine's cancer incidence and mortality rates are significantly higher than national rates. Every year more than 8,000 Mainers are diagnosed with cancer and over 3,000 die due to cancer. Maine cancer patients, their caretakers, families, and communities are all affected by a cancer diagnosis.
“Collaboration with fellow funders, like the John T. Gorman Foundation, is a unique opportunity to increase our collective impact. Our hope is that our successful collaboration may serve as an example to other funders who may be interested in co-funding additional projects that meet the objectives of each Foundation,” states Hill.
###
About Maine Cancer Foundation:
Maine Cancer Foundation is dedicated to reducing cancer incidence and mortality rates in Maine. 100% of funds raised by the Foundation are used to benefit the people of Maine. MCF leads a state-wide effort to advance the most promising and effective cancer-fighting efforts available to the people of Maine through a combination of grant-based financial support and coalition building. MCF is in the middle of a 5-year campaign, the Challenge Cancer 2020 initiative, to reduce cancer incidence and mortality in Maine 20 percent by 2020. Learn more at https://mainecancer.org
About the John T. Gorman Foundation:
John T. Gorman, known as Tom, was a grandson of L.L. Bean and established the Foundation in 1995 to help disadvantaged Mainers. In recent years, the independent, statewide Foundation has moved to focus strategically on four key areas: improving educational achievement for children; promoting successful transitions to adulthood for vulnerable older youth; helping struggling parents to support their families and enabling low-income seniors to remain in their homes as long as possible. For more information about the John T. Gorman Foundation, please visit www.jtgfoundation.org.