Bringing Hope Home is an organization that deserves some recognition for the work they do here on campus and in the local area. BHH is a non-profit organization that originated here in West Chester, Pa.
The organization provides “unexpected amazingness” to local families with cancer through financial and emotional support.
Through the Light of Hope Family Grant Program, BHH offers a one-time grant to pay essential household bills for families with any type or form of cancer with the help of the 62 cancer centers they work with in the Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey area.
They have paid over $3.3 million in essential household bills for over 2,700 total families helped since 2008.
BHH understands what the patients and families they help are going through, and in fact, most of the people who are part of the organization have been affected by cancer in some way. Because BHH isn’t as big as other more nationally known organizations, the locality of BHH allows members to connect with families and patients on a personal level.
BHH was founded by Paul Isenberg, who found the love of his life, Nicole, as a senior here at West Chester University.
Isenberg married Nicole after graduation. Unfortunately, during her second pregnancy, she became ill and was eventually diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Although financial support is essential in the process of dealing with cancer, I hope we can all agree that emotional support is what keeps us strong when things aren’t going right in our lives.
On the BHH website, Isenberg states that, “We are family,” and, “We are here to help be your support system, a trusted friend that you can count on during this fragile time.”
BHH stresses they consider those who are in the organization, including chapter members, general employees, executive board members, the co-founders, sponsors, cancer centers, one-time volunteers, and those who they are offering support to, as one family.
It’s essential to BHH that the volunteers, partners, and whomever is involved to meet the families they are helping.
Emily Roth, the secretary of BHH’s WCU’s chapter, says, “Bringing Hope Home and especially West Chester’s chapter, is so special to me because we are able to see where all of our hard work goes. We are so honored to be able to meet the families we help. We are right in the middle of the ‘unexpected amazingness,’ which is purely incredible.”
BHH is always looking for more members for the Hope Squad to help with things in the office, events, and bringing hope to the community. They meet weekly in Sykes every Monday to help organize events, fundraising tactics, and ways to publicize the organization. Adopt-a-Block, Relay for Life, and Pantene Beautiful Lengths Hair Donation Drive are just a few of the fundraising events organized by the Hope Squad.
Some of their upcoming events include a St. Patrick’s Day 5K race at Kildare’s on Saturday Mar. 19 and a Philly LOVE Run on Sunday Apr. 10.
You can follow Bringing Hope Home on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and join them on OrgSync for email updates and reminders.
Annie Margle is a third-year student majoring in communication studies with a minor in Spanish. She can be reached at AM802063@wcupa.edu.
A great article about a wonderful program, Thanks for making me aware! Makes me want to get involved in some way!