Managing Your Finances Through Cancer - Partnership with Wright-Patt Credit Union
For immediate release
Wright-Patt Credit Union, WPCU Sunshine Community Fund,
Gala of Hope Team up to Help Cancer Patients
Dayton, OH – Wright-Patt Credit Union (WPCU) and the WPCU Sunshine Community Fund (SCF) – the charitable giving arm of WPCU -- is helping to pilot a new financial learning program that will help area cancer patients manage their finances. In partnership with The Gala of Hope Foundation, the SCF, and Dayton area hospitals, patients will learn how to effectively handle the financial hurdles that often accompany a cancer diagnosis. The new program, “Managing Your Finances Through Cancer,” is ongoing and runs through 2022. The pilot program will serve patients virtually and utilize a combination of one-on-one coaching, hands-on tools, and financial learning engagements to help address some of the most common challenges cancer patients face. “The more we can help them navigate financial challenges, and the more we can help reduce that stress, along with emotional and physical stress, the more they can focus on beating their cancer,” said Jeff Brock, Executive Director for the Gala of Hope Foundation. After an initial assessment, WPCU Financial Coaches will provide financial coaching tailored to each participant’s unique needs and situation. After the conclusion of this pilot, if the program is successful for participants, WPCU will make this a core program offering for our partnering hospitals and communities we serve by expanding the reach and participant intake capacity of the current pilot model. Upon diagnosis, cancer patients often see an average monthly increase of $700 in expenses for the duration of their treatment and can sometimes face income loss if they cannot work full time or work at all for any period. "Most patients are not prepared for this challenge, even possible income loss, and can struggle to make up the difference moving forward,” said Tracy Szarzi-Fors, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Wright-Patt Credit Union and Executive Director of the WPCU Sunshine Community Fund. “This program will help patients take the appropriate steps to avoid financial hardship.” To learn more about this pilot program, please visit wpcu.coop/SCF.
About the WPCU Sunshine Community Fund
The (WPCU) Sunshine Community Fund is the charitable giving arm of Wright-Patt Credit Union and a 501(c)(3) public foundation that exists to transform and strengthen the financial wellbeing of communities. The WPCU Sunshine Community Fund supports organizations, projects, and programs that align with its financial wellbeing building blocks: Education, Employment & Income, Food, Financial Services, Homeownership, Healthcare, Justice & Law Enforcement, and Mentoring Development Programs, in order to help vulnerable populations, overcome barriers to financial prosperity
About Gala of Hope Foundation
Gala of Hope Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 2014 to serve the Dayton region as a financial resource for cancer patients, cancer treatment, and local cancer research. At its core, Gala of Hope Foundation was created and is sustained by gifts from generous people committed to changing the face of cancer in the Dayton region. The Foundation serves as a grant maker and a voice for Dayton region cancer patients and its cancer care community.
About Wright-Patt Credit Union
Established in 1932, Wright-Patt Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative proudly serving Central and Southwest Ohio with more than 446,000 members and over $7.1 billion in assets. As a cooperative, Wright-Patt Credit Union joins members together, pooling financial resources to meet the needs of all. The pooled resources provide the capital to run a strong and efficient operation. Wright-Patt Credit Union is headquartered in Beavercreek, Ohio, and has convenient Member Centers throughout Central and Southwest Ohio. Wright-Patt Credit Union's mission is to help people through life by allowing members to achieve a greater degree of economic independence. Visit Wright-Patt Credit Union's website at www.wpcu.coop for more information.
For more information on the Gala of Hope, contact Jeff Brock, Executive Director at 937-239-5482 or visit www.galaofhope.net
For more information on the Wright-Patt, contact Tracy Szarzi-Fors, Director of Education at (937) 912-7114 or tszarzi-fors@wpcu.coop