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The Reader's Digest Foundation to Donate $100,000 to CancerCare

The Reader's Digest Foundation to Donate $100,000 to CancerCare

Published 08-18-08

Submitted by Readers Digest Association, Inc./Reader's Digest Foundation, The

PLEASANTVILLE, NY. - August 18, 2008 - The Reader's Digest Foundation announced today that it will donate $100,000 to CancerCare, a national nonprofit organization that offers free, professional support services to anyone whose life is touched by cancer: people with cancer, caregivers, children, loved ones and the bereaved. Its programs include counseling, education and financial assistance. The Foundation's grant will go towards CancerCare's financial assistance program, which helps cancer patients and their families pay their bills.

This grant, the sixth in the Foundation’s $1 million Make it Matter program, was inspired by the heartwarming story of Michelle Morey, a Minnesota mom who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37. Fortunately, she had her own business, a comfortable income and a supportive family and, as a result, was able to focus all her attention on getting better, rather than worrying about paying her bills. She discovered that many of her fellow patients didn't have the resources she had and, because of the colossal medical expenses they faced, were having trouble heating their homes and buying food.

Michelle and her husband began making monthly donations of $500 to patients in financial need at the clinic where Michelle was treated. She soon created the Pay It Forward Fund, which now serves patients at three Minneapolis-area hospitals. The fund provides up to $1,500 a year to dozens of women, identified by the nursing staffs, with breast, uterine, cervical or ovarian cancer who need financial help. The grants are made with one request: that recipients find a way to pay the fund's generosity forward through acts of kindness toward others fighting cancer. In just two years, the fund has raised more than $250,000 and has assisted nearly 150 women.

"Fighting cancer is hard enough without also having to fight to keep your lights on and make your mortgage payments," said Susan Fraysse Russ, executive director, Reader's Digest Foundation. "We're very gratified that CancerCare recognizes this and assists people with cancer who need financial support, and we’re very glad to help them in this critical work."

"We are so grateful to the Reader's Digest Foundation for helping us assist people as they face the biggest crisis of their lives," said Diane Blum, Executive Director of CancerCare. "This support will make a profound difference in the daily lives of people facing the emotional and financial challenges of a cancer diagnosis."

Reader's Digest magazine is lending its support to the Foundation's program by highlighting the stories of selected individuals in its monthly "Make it Matter"column. Many of the submissions, including those that do not lead to a grant, will be featured on http://www.readersdigest.com.

Submissions for Make it Matter will be accepted by the Foundation on a rolling basis throughout 2008.

About Make it Matter:
Make it Matter is a program of the Reader’s Digest Foundation (RDF) dedicated to promoting efforts that encourage individuals to make a positive difference in their communities. RDF considers the public’s stories of giving back and chooses one each month that embodies the RDF mission and serves as an inspiration to others. For each Make it Matter story, RDF will donate $100,000 to a nonprofit organization that furthers the cause. Submissions from the public can be directed to http://www.readersdigest.com/foundation.

About CancerCare:
CancerCare is a national nonprofit organization that provides free, professional support services to anyone affected by cancer: people with cancer, caregivers, children, loved ones and the bereaved. CancerCare programs "“ including counseling, education, financial assistance and practical help "“ are provided by trained oncology social workers and are completely free of charge. Founded in 1944, CancerCare provided individual help to more than 97,000 people last year, and had nearly 2.1 million visits to its websites. For more information, call 1-800-812-HOPE (4673) or visit www.cancercare.org.

Readers Digest Association, Inc./Reader's Digest Foundation, The logo

Readers Digest Association, Inc./Reader's Digest Foundation, The

Readers Digest Association, Inc./Reader's Digest Foundation, The

The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. is a global publisher and direct marketer of books, magazines and home entertainment products that inform, entertain and inspire people of all ages and cultures around the world. The company publishes 90 magazines, including its flagship magazine - Reader’s Digest, the world’s biggest-selling magazine. It is published in 51 editions and 21 languages. The Reader’s Digest Foundation is dedicated to creating opportunities and promoting efforts that encourage individuals to make a positive difference in their communities, and to supporting programs designed to help young people learn, grow and enrich their lives.

More from Readers Digest Association, Inc./Reader's Digest Foundation, The

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