Wings of Hope 25th Anniversary
Wings of Hope is Celebrating 25 Years
Wings of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation (‘WOH’) was started by Diana Kalef in 1995 in an effort to support some family and friends going through breast cancer. What started out in Diana’s basement has grown over the past 25 years and has provided over $1,000,000 in funding for low-income breast cancer patients through our three core programs. WOH relies on its annual luncheon each year in October to raise funds for two (AFAP and Gift of Hope) of our core programs. WOH also receives donations from generous individual donors throughout the year. WOH is 100% volunteer run and maintains extremely low overhead costs so that 95% of all money raised goes to our clients. We are proud to say that we have not turned away a qualifying client since our inception.
Our Programs
Our funding assists low income individuals with breast cancer who have exhausted all other means of financial support through three programs:
Patient Financial Assistance Program (“PFAP”): PFAP provides financial relief for cost directly connected to breast cancer treatment and basic living expense during that treatment. Wings of Hope endowed the Alberta Cancer Foundation with a principal gift of $680,000. This gift generates investment income and this is how we fund PFAP.
Augmented Financial Assistance Program (“AFAP”): WOH initiated AFAP when we realized that PFAP funding was not meeting the considerable financial needs of the individuals served by our organization. AFAP provides financial assistance to qualifying clients who have exhausted their PFAP entitlements. Each recipient is entitled to apply for reimbursement for housing (rent), utilities, groceries, medication, transportation and similar eligible expenses for up to $5,000 in any 3-year period.
Gift of Hope – Although the financial burden our clients face is difficult year-round, Christmas time can be especially tough. During the holiday season, Wing of Hope puts together baskets filled with gift cards, personal items and donated goodies to help ease the pressure during this stressful time. The intent is to lift the spirits of those batting breast cancer, and for many individuals and families, we are a ‘Christmas Miracle’.