Maine Cancer Foundation awards $10,000 to Pine Tree Hospice
DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Maine Cancer Foundation (MCF) announced it is awarding a total of $50,000 in grant funding to six hospice programs throughout the state to increase hospice services available for Maine cancer patients, their caretakers, family and friends. Among the recipients is the Dover-Foxcroft-based Pine Tree Hospice, which will receive $10,000 to serve Piscataquis County and portions of Penobscot and Somerset counties.
These grants are the first awards drawn from the John T. Gorman Fund at MCF, established in May as a collaborative grant-making asset to meet the shared goals of the John T. Gorman Foundation and MCF.
Considered to be the model for quality, compassionate care for people facing a life-limiting illness or injury, hospice care involves a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient’s needs and wishes. Hospice supports the patient’s loved ones and caregivers as well.
The selected grantees are all volunteer-driven programs spanning much of the state, providing critical support services to underserved locations. The six programs will use the allotted funds for general operating support, which enables organizations to build a strong and sustainable infrastructure in order to provide programs and services that will have the greatest impact.
The other 2018 hospice grantees are: Down East Hospice Volunteers (Washington County), $8,300; Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County, $5,000; Hospice Volunteers of Somerset County, $6,700; Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County, $10,000; and Hospice Volunteers of Waterville Area, $10,000.
“It is an honor for us to partner with the John T. Gorman Foundation and provide much-needed operational support to these volunteer hospice programs,” says Aysha Sheikh, director of programming at MCF. “These six programs harness the compassion of volunteers to touch the lives of hundreds of Mainers in the later stages of cancer, supporting their immediate needs and those of their families and loved ones.”
The John T. Gorman Fund at MCF was established to 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. 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. In addition to these grants funding hospice services, another funding round later this year will support increased access to transportation and lodging services for Maine cancer patients. These grants will be awarded in the fall.
The Maine Cancer Foundation is dedicated to reducing cancer incidence and mortality rates in Maine. One hundred percent 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.