Support Our Work

Support local cancer patients and their families

The North Bay Cancer Alliance (NBCA) provides critical financial support to cancer patients and their families in the North Bay regardless where they are being treated or what kind of cancer they have. Patients can use the money for transportation, co-pays, grocery, lodging, or any essential needs they have. NBCA executive director Kent Corley observes, “Lengthy applications, financial status verification, and long wait times can discourage applicants or take too long to be effective. NBCA has instead opted for an approach that puts money in the hands of oncology social workers and patient navigators to distribute to patients on-the-spot, at the moment when it is needed.”

 

Chemotherapy and radiation are two good examples of why it is so difficult for cancer patients living on the margin of health and income. These treatments require patients to be physically present at an oncology center sometimes every day for two to three weeks straight. That might mean driving from Clearlake to Santa Rosa every day or from Santa Rosa to San Francisco, a 100 mile round trip. That’s expensive even if the patient has insurance and a working vehicle. NBCA financial support helps these patients stay in treatment.

Direct Assistance
2024 we provided $86,000 to more than 420 low-income cancer patients.

How NBCA helps cancer patients and their families

Transportation Costs

Support Groups

Lodging

Complementary Therapies

Co-pays

Cancer Risk Assessments

Grocery Cards

STRENGTH Blankets

In 2022 we are very focused on providing financial support to low-income cancer patients living on the margin of health and income. Donations to NBCA, unless otherwise indicated, will go to fund cancer patients and their families most in need.

Making a donation to a specific fund:

We are always happy to receive donations to our general fund or to a fundraiser such as Ascent on Cancer. However, should you wish to be more specific with your philanthropy we have a number of targeted funds you can contribute to. Select these specific funds on the pull down menu on the donation form.

 

You can also talk with NBCA executive director Kent Corley about creating a fund that reflects your own giving goals.

The Airport Health Club offers an exercise program for people recovering from cancer. The Cancer Wellness Program is for members and non-members with any type of cancer at any stage. The program is designed to implement the process of improvement in pain management and function so participants can better perform activities of daily living through appropriate exercise. Participants see improvements in posture, breathing, bone strength, endurance, digestion, tolerance to chemotherapy, pain, and fatigue.

This fund will provide access to art therapy for youth, and community members with cancer. The fund is created in memory of the loving kindness, humble ways, artistic talents and curiosity of Daniel Robert Doughty.

Learn more about this fund.

This fund supports cancer patients during their treatment and recovery by creating indoor and outdoor garden spaces to recharge, relax and inspire. Anne-Marie Allen has been a landscape professional for more than 25 years and is donating her time to create these wonderful garden spaces for cancer patients.

The Jay Corley Memorial Fund was created in memory of Jay Corley who passed away from complications of prostate cancer in 2016. As a longtime Napa resident and community supporter his family started this fund to support cancer patients of all types living or being treated in the Napa area.

Learn more about this fund.

Support Parkpoint Healdsburg’s six-week Cancer Wellness program for people in any phase of treatment or recovery.

Donations to this fund are used solely for women and their families who are faced with a breast cancer diagnosis. We assist women in all five counties in the North Bay regardless of which hospital they are being treated in. Funds have been used to help pay for transportation, grocery, lodging, prosthetics, wigs, and a variety of innovative support groups.

The Jennifer Hoffmann Memorial Fund was created by her mother Gloria Glickman and Gloria’s husband Don, primarily to support breast cancer patients being treated by Providence Health in Santa Rosa. This fund provides much needed financial resources to patients in need and also has created and launched many innovation pilot programs like Yoga, Sound Healing, and more.

The Marcia Anderson Memorial Fund was established to assist Spanish speaking cancer patients in our community. Proceeds have been used for patient assistance, translation services, pilot programs, research studies. A cancer diagnosis is challenging to understand especially for non-English speakers. Donations to this fund help Spanish speakers navigate the difficult process and helps to finance critical expenses.

Our fundraiser: Ascent on Cancer

In November of 2021 a team of hikers climbed Mt. San Jacinto to raise funds for NBCA. This was the first in a series of extreme hikes undertaken with two goals in mind. The first goal was to raise critical funds for North Bay cancer patients and their families who are living on the margin of health and income. The second was to take the names of Cancer Heroes up the mountain.

Ascent on Cancer 2021 has raised $15,000.

When I started here in 2015, I quickly came across a cancer patient that just needed bus money to get home from an appointment. It was mentioned to me to ask Kent at NBCA for a little bit of funds for such things. Almost immediately we were able to set up a system whereby NBCA would help fund the many various needs for our cancer patients. It has truly been a HUGE life saver over these past six years. We have funded bus passes, gas cards, grocery gift cards, lodging during chemo, dental care and funding special wishes for end of life situations. NBCA also funded many pilot programs such as Sound Healing, Rebuild & Renew, and Parking Lot Music Therapy.”

Sharon Doughty, Patient Navigator, Providence Health

Memorial Fund Donors

The Jen Hoffman Fund

Also known as the fund for “Supporting cancer patients at Providence Health in Santa Rosa”

  • Gloria and Don Glickman
  • CannaCraft
  • Lindsay Norval
  • Axis Sivitz
  • Cindy and Allan Block
  • Susan Cohen
  • Sarina Gwirtzman
  • Shari and Alan Kafton
  • Karen Field
  • Bryan and Susan Erler
  • Esther Goldman
  • Gregg and Pamela Boita
  • Debra Goldman
  • Michele Manison
  • Diane Putnam
  • Patricia Ribaudo
  • Phyllis Shapiro
  • Heidi Solz
  • Francine Ziperstein
  • Sarala and James Dee
  • Mary Eickmeyer
  • Gladys Baum
  • Barbara Goldstein
  • Robin Levine
  • Harris Ross
  • Gladys Pinck