COLUMBUS, OH — A group of local leaders has raised $55,000 in two weeks to give meals, transportation and overnight stays to cancer patients traveling to Columbus for treatment.
The collections are part of a one-month campaign — the Light of Hope Campaign — to raise $100,000 in funds, goods and services for out-of-town cancer patients and their families. The campaign is an initiative of Next Level Gives, a philanthropic arm of Next Level Trainings, an organization that offers leadership and emotional intelligence programs in central Ohio.
All campaign proceeds benefit Hope Hollow, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sources thousands of dollars in gasoline, meal gift cards and personal care items for cancer patients and families each year. Miles away from home and financially strained by the costs associated with cancer treatment, many of the families are unable to afford basic needs.
“When you’re hungry and you know your kids are hungry and you’re an hour from home and someone reaches out ... it really means a lot,” said Dave Dicks, who encountered Hope Hollow when his wife was being treated for breast cancer. “Hope Hollow was a gift from God.”