Weersing Grant

  • The Hawthorne Cancer Foundation
  • The Hawthorne Cancer Foundation

The Weersing Family Grant Fund

 
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Our mission is simple. Financially support cancer patients at a time when they need it most. This mission has been made possible by the generous gift of the Weersing Family.

 

Thank you !

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The Hawthorne Cancer Foundation exists to lessen the emotional and financial burden one experiences as one navigates through the treatment of cancer.

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  • THCF offers financial grants to qualified individuals who are currently undergoing cancer treatment. The applicant must reside or be receiving treatment within a thirty-mile radius of the Johnston-Willis Medical Center. The geographical range covers the Richmond Metropolitan and Tri-City communities.

  • Healthcare professionals and credentialled social workers stand as "Advocates" of the patient and are required to submit and manage the grant application process on behalf of the patient.

  • Grant recipients may utilize the funds for a variety of needs, including food, shelter, transportation, and related expenses. Payment of medical bills or prescription drugs is prohibited.

  • Grant awards are limited to one per applicant, per twelve-month cycle. 

  • Advocates are encouraged to become familiar with the FAQ's section on this page so they are prepared to answer questions by the patient applicant. 

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Advocate

Read this document before proceeding to the application

Frequently asked questions

General

What is a HCF Grant?

The Hawthorne Cancer Foundation provides financial aid in the form of a grant. The purpose of the grant is to help with miscellaneous expenses while a cancer patient is undergoing treatment. The grant is not to be used to pay medical bills and/or medications.



An "Advocate" is defined as...

A person who holds current professional credentials as a Social Worker, Therapist, Medical Practictioner. Someone who is directly involved in the treatment of the cancer patient.



A "Patient" is defined as...

A person who is currently undergoing cancer treatments.



What is the role of the "Advocate" as it relates to the grant application process?

The "Advocate" is the sponsor advocating on behalf of the patient.



Why is an "Advocate" required to participate in the grant application process?

There are several reasons for this requirement. 1) Reduce anxiety and stress while the patient is undergoing treatment.
2) Ensure the patient application is accurate and submitted promptly.
3) Verify the patient is qualified to receive a financial grant if selected.
4) Focus HCF's financial support for certified cancer patients currently undergoing treatment within a predefined coverage area.



What is a HCF "covered" area?

The Hawthorne Cancer Foundation's Board of Directors has elected to support the local Tri-City area covering a radius of approximately 30 miles from the Johnston-Willis Medical Center at 1401 Johnston-Willis Drive, N. Chesterfield, VA 23235.



Qualifications

Qualifications for Advocates...

1) Must be a person who holds current professional credentials as a Social Worker, Therapist, Medical Practictioner. Someone who is directly involved in the treatment of the cancer patient. 2) Must sponsor/advocate for a patient by submitting the online application on their behalf. 3) Must certify that the patient is actively receiving cancer treatment in the current month and/or has a treatment plan spanning multiple months. 4) Must certify that the patient lives and/or is receiving treatment within the (30 mile) covered area as provided within the online application process. 5) Must maintain a record of the patient application and act as the patient liason with HCF managment as needed. Note: Advocate's may refer more than one patient. The HCF database records the applicants relationship with the Advocate and primary Doctor providing treatment.



Qualifications for Patients...

1) The patient is actively receiving cancer treatment or has a treatment plan in the future.
2) The patient must live or be receiving treatment within the approved (30 mile) covered area, as defined by zip code. The zip code check occurs automatically via the online application process.
3) The patient understands grants provided by HCF must not pay for medical bills or prescription drugs. Typical uses are transportation, food, room and board, mortgage, rent, automobile, gas, utilities, travel, etc.
4) The patient understands they must be sponsored by an Advocate who can be your Doctor, Social Worker, or professional who holds credentials from within the Healthcare industry.
5) The patient must provide accurate responses to all questions contained within the application. A memo field (2,500 characters, maximum) is available to share your personal story describing your current financial need. Note: The software automatically scores applicant responses to the questions. The patient stories are reviewed and scored by the HCF Grant Committee (anonymously). The scores are averaged and combined to rank applicants. (see Process)



Process

Details about the application process...

1) The application process is a fully automated system. 2) Questions are answered via an online form which the Advocate must complete on behalf of the Patient. 3) There are two key sections; general questions and patient request. 4) The patient request field provides a maximum of 2,500 to express the specific need for the grant funds. 5) The general questions are mixed with true, false, multiple choice and text responses. 6) All responses have assigned weighted values and are tabulated to establish a combined overall score. This scoring creates a ranking of applicants by which the top five are selected for final review. Typically, (3) grantees will be selected each month. The remaining applicants selected for the final review will retain the review status for up to (90) days, afterwitch, they will remain active in the general database for (365) days from the initial application submission date. 7) All patient applications remain active in the grant database for (365) days. If a grant is awarded to an applicant, the application in question is deactivated. Once a grant is received, there is a (365) day waiting period before a new application can be considered qualified for additional grant awards. 8) Grant allowances are based on fund availability and are subject to change without notice. 9) Final grant reviews are conducted on the last week of each month and awards will be issued within the first two weeks for the following month. 10) The HCF Board of Directors reserve the right to modify the amount of disbursements, general terms and conditions, and/or terminate the "Grant Program" without prior written notice and without liability in any form.



Grant Program