First Tuesday Leadership Profile; Martha Knapp, Founder and Executive Director, Angel's Hope

This week I debut my “First Tuesday Leadership Profile” series, with a profile of Martha Knapp, the founder and executive director of Angel’s Hope.

1. Tell me about the work Angel's Hope does.
Angel’s Hope was founded in 2001 to help bridge the gap between the healthcare system and the financial burdens faced by families caring for a child with cancer. Our mission is not to fund research, but to help families survive the day-to-day financial, emotional and logistical obstacles that quickly become overwhelming. When a family is referred to us, we immediately provide assistance in the form of gas, food and CVS gift cards. This is often followed by the distribution of additional gift cards and bill payment to help with expenses such as utilities and rent. To date we have assisted more than 750 families all throughout New England though our own programs and the networking of additional organization to help layer in resources. A highlight each year is our totally inclusive Holiday Weekend Getaway for 30 of our families. This is always a special respite that includes two nights at a premier mid Cape motel complete with many surprises and culminates in a heartwarming Christmas party complete with Santa and gifts. The true gift of this weekend, however, is the gift of normalcy. The opportunity for families to bond and find common ground while the children feel normal instead of feeling “different” in a normal world.
2. Talk about the unmet need; the gap between the services requested of Angel's Hope and what you can fund.
We receive an average of ten new referrals each month. These are families who have been devastated by the news that their child has cancer. Often one or both parents leave work to care for their ill child and suddenly they face decreased income with increased expenses. It doesn’t take long to feel overwhelmed. Although we have continued to provide assistance to new referrals in addition to providing support to existing families, we need to rise to the challenge of providing increased assistance to families who face the same economic hardships as the rest of the country with the additional burden of fighting for their child’s life.
3. Tell us how people find you and your relationship with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Families are referred to us through their connections with their hospital or clinic social worker, local Visiting Nurse Association, or other medical and healthcare professionals. We have built relationships with pediatric oncology hospitals and healthcare services, who rely on us to help assist families in need. For the past 9 years we have worked very closely with the Jimmy Fund Clinic at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and we remain one of their most consistent resources. While the economy has caused some of the larger organizations to restrict their assistance to families and cut back on their family assistance programs, we have continued to help fill this gap.
4. What is your biggest challenge in growing funding and awareness for Angel's Hope? How can my readers help the cause?
Like most other nonprofit organizations, we rely on fund raising efforts to support our programs. That positions us as being only one in a long line of organizations asking businesses for support. We are not a big organization with a sizable marketing budget, but we are a small organization doing big work. There are many ways to support our cause including: donations in the form of monetary, item or in-kind donations; volunteers to help with our family services program and fund raising events; and becoming an event sponsor.
5. What was the inspiration for Angel’s Hope?
Angel’s Hope was founded in the memory of Michael James Knapp who passed away in 1995 at the age of 3 ½ after a brave battle with brain cancer. During the 15 months Michael was ill, his family faced many challenges and received very little support. It became evident that organizations were not addressing the critical and fundamental needs of families facing pediatric cancer. The mission of Angel’s Hope encompasses work that is not being duplicated by other organizations.

Angel’s Hope does amazing work in our communities and we are so fortunate to have them here. Having personally met and spoken with families who were beneficiaries of the services and support they provide I can attest to the necessity of what they do and the need for further funding of their services.
To learn more about Angel’s Hope and find ways you can get involved and donate or volunteer, please visit their website: http://www.angelshope.org/