DCF Awards $100K to Help Patients at St. Elizabeth Dearborn Cancer Center

Both grants will help provide specific services over the next three years at the cancer center.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Two Dearborn Community Foundation proactive grants totaling $100,000 are helping provide much needed non-medical services for patients at the new St. Elizabeth Healthcare Cancer Center in Dearborn County.

The DCF awarded a $40,000 grant to St. Elizabeth Healthcare to provide financial assistance to qualified patients utilizing the Cancer Center’s boutique for purchase of wigs/toupees and bras/prosthetics. The Foundation also awarded a $60,000 grant to Cancer Support Community (CSC) to provide integrated oncology services to cancer center patients and family members to address emotional and other lifestyle changes affected by cancer treatment.

“We all know someone who has or is being treated for cancer of some sort,” said Fred McCarter, DCF Executive Director. “Some of us have ourselves experienced the impact of cancer treatment on an individual and family members. When someone is experiencing treatment, it’s more than just a physical, medical thing. They clearly are dealing with an emotional impact as well. We wanted to do something that would help with those non-medical needs patients and family members often face.”

Both grants will help provide the specific services over the next three years at the cancer center, located off U.S. 50 in Greendale, Ind. The $100,000 in grants came primarily from DCF’s unrestricted endowment funds, established by donors to provide the Foundation Board and staff with flexibility to address changing needs in the community over the years, said McCarter. “We felt this was a great use of funds to help St. Elizabeth and CSC ramp up services at the beautiful new cancer center,” he said.

The $40,000 DCF grant awarded to St. Elizabeth Healthcare will certainly make a difference for women in Southeastern Indiana receiving chemotherapy at the Dearborn Cancer Center, said Terri Bogan, Director of Breast Health and Site Director at Dearborn Cancer Center.

“Receiving this grant will provide another layer of needed support for women undergoing chemotherapy, allowing them to reclaim their confidence and dignity with the support of wigs and prosthetics,” said Bogan. “It’s not just about appearance; it’s about empowering them to face their journey with strength and resilience.”

The $60,000 grant to CSC, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in Blue Ash, Ohio, and providing free services around the Tri-State, will help fund what some patients have referred to as “life changing” service to them.

"We are deeply grateful to the Dearborn Community Foundation for their generous grant, which will allow us to expand our vital services into Dearborn County, Indiana,” said Kelly Schoen, Executive Director of CSC. “Cancer affects not just the body, but the mind and spirit as well. This funding will enable us to provide free, high-quality emotional and social support to cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones in an area that has been underserved. By widening our reach, we can ensure that more individuals affected by cancer have access to the resources they need to improve their quality of life and navigate their cancer journey with resilience and hope."

Schoen says everyone’s cancer journey is unique and their support should be too. The DCF grant allows CSC to provide a comprehensive menu of programs from support groups and educational workshops to wellness programs and social activities. The DCF funding helps ensure that CSC delivers “personalized, high-quality care to all, so that no one faces cancer alone.”