Wish-granting nonprofit donates thousands to nonprofit helping cancer patients during COVID pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many nonprofit organizations to shut down operations.
One group that remains on pause has found a way to pivot and still help their target group.
The Fill Your Bucket List Foundation typically grants wishes for adult cancer patients.
The Fill Your Bucket List Foundation grants wishes for adult cancer patients. Now they're helping
Now they're helping those fighting cancer in a different way by donating to another nonprofit organization called the Caring Community Foundation, which also helps cancer patients.
It's an organization that Christian Goodwin knows well. He was only 7 years old when his mom was first diagnosed with cancer and he remembers the financial hardship that followed.
"She wasn't able to work. My father was spending a lot of time in the hospital before work and during work and it was a really trying time for us," Goodwin said.
Luckily, Christian's family was able to receive donations from Caring Community Foundation, a nonprofit that helps patients fighting cancer pay their bills.
"She used it for everything from utilities to rent. There would be a number of nights she's be crying in the bathroom," Goodwin said.
And that kind of added stress is the last night patients fighting cancer need.
During the height of the pandemic, Caring Community Foundation had to cancel its fundraiser and scale back services by 50 percent. Executive Director Maria Hernandez says they worked to stretch their dollars.
"We wanted to make sure we could be there for cancer patients while they're receiving treatment," Hernandez said.
The Fill Your Bucket List Foundation that grants wishes to patients fighting cancer had extra money, but couldn't operate.
"We knew with the pandemic that cancer patients where not going to be able to gather and all of our wishes had been either trips or family reunions or concerts and games that where no longer taking place because of COVID," said founder Peggy Carroll.
So, The Fill Your Bucket List Foundation donated $75,000 of money for wishes to the Caring Community Foundation.
"What we realized is that people's bucket list wishes had shifted from actually going somewhere and gathering to maintaining their daily needs," said Carroll.
Caring Community Foundation was able to help 100 people buy food and pay rent thanks money from the Fill Your Bucket List Foundation.
"It was a tremendous gift. We were all very excited to learn they wanted to support what we were doing," Hernandez said.
Hernandez said the nonprofit is planning a big in-person gala scheduled for this September in hopes of getting back to where they were financially before the pandemic.
Goodwin said having these nonprofits up and running is so important to families and people in the fight of their lives like his mom was.
"It really establishes there is that wonderful sense of humanity in your community that when you going through something that's really that tough, there's people there for you and there's a place to turn," Goodwin said.
