Covering the Cost of Everyday Bills, Nonprofit Brings Relief and Hope to Families Battling Cancer

Cancer patients work hard battling the multiplying malignant cells in their bodies. In the meantime, most also face multiplying bills as medical expenses pile on top of ongoing costs for housing, food, utilities and more.

That’s why Bringing Hope Home, a growing Philadelphia-based organization, raises money to help cancer patients pay everyday bills that loom over their already stressful lives.

But Bringing Hope Home never calls the people they help “patients.”

“You’re not allowed to use the ‘patient’ word in our office,” says Paul Isenberg, founder and CEO of Bringing Hope Home. “They are our ‘families.’ We treat all the people we help as family, because to us they are.”

Paul’s wife, Nicole, died in 2003 of Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 39. She had battled her cancer for six years, undergoing bone marrow transplants and extensive chemotherapy. Paul and Nicole, who had two young children, experienced an outpouring of support; however, they couldn’t help but notice that others with cancer didn’t always have that.

“We were thankful that we had such an unbelievable support system, from family to neighbors to friends, to friends from church to our employers,” said Paul. The couple often referred to the men and women who helped them as “great guys,” and wondered if they’d be willing to help others, too. In 2001, Paul and Nicole had the idea to host a dinner to raise money to help people who are fighting cancer.

Paul called his friend Tim Sherry, for help organizing the event – and the Great Guys Dinner was born.

Read the full story on the Points of Light blog.