Pictured above: Fund Advisory Committee members Ellen Casey Boyd, Barbara Bonner and beth rose.
The Fund's Beginning
A much-beloved healer in the Berkshires, Denise Kaley died of lung cancer in March 2010 at the age of 46. A month before her death and mindful of wanting to use her illness to help others who would follow in what she called her “cancer journey,” she and her close friend Barbara Bonner established this fund with Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. The fund helps support the day-to-day living expenses of women who are facing the twin struggles of cancer and serious financial need. What started as a modest memorial fund to Denise is now a force for good in our region as we make grants to women nearly every week throughout the year. With each passing year, our original donors and those who have come to know our work have increased their generosity, allowing us to answer all requests while also adding to our endowment.
Mission
The Denise Kaley Fund provides support for day-to-day living expenses of Berkshire County women who are living with cancer and are in serious financial need.
How it Works
In the generous network of grantmaking vehicles to support women living with cancer, the Denise Kaley Fund stands alone as the last stop. It is the fund that helps cancer patients cover the costs of life’s necessities: heating oil, car repairs, groceries, babysitting, rent, mortgage payments and medical expenses not covered by insurance, to name just a few. Our procedures are simple, direct and transparent. Nearly every woman in Berkshire County who is being treated for cancer and looking for financial support is on the radar of the four remarkable women who make up our Community Referral Network. They are our eyes and ears into the community that needs our help. Because they know these women and have already become familiar with their situations, they work with them to find available resources. When all other sources of support are exhausted, they turn to the Denise Kaley Fund for emergency funding. Grant applications are received through Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation in the morning and voted on by the Advisory Committee, usually by email within a few hours. Once approved, a check can often be cut within a week.
Denise Kaley Health Coaching Through Cancer
After many years of focusing solely on grantmaking, our team at the Phelps Cancer Center now spearheads a new program that expands our services to form partnerships with women wanting to create significant and lasting change. This unique program helps women across the spectrum – from the newly diagnosed to those who have completed treatment or are living with cancer. Patients partner with our Health Coach, Amanda Bayliss, to identify and support mind/body health needs, reduce distress, reduce social isolation and build community. Special attention is paid to nutritional needs, exercise, lifestyle and often meditation. Many patients frequently find the time after treatments are completed to be one of the most challenging. Asked to return to “life as normal”, they find a world of new challenges that require new skills and strengths.
Some Denise Kaley Fund Grant Recipients:
- A 56-year-old woman with metastatic pancreatic cancer, the sole provider for her family, received help with her fuel bill.
- A single parent of a 14-year-old son received help with her cell phone payments when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.
- A woman with brain cancer – who lives with her parents as she recovers from surgery and ongoing treatments and is unable to work – received assistance with the mortgage.
- A 32-year-old woman who is unable to work as she is treated for breast cancer has a 2-year-old and infant son. We provided her with assistance for her daycare provider.
“The women who are trying to survive while juggling the needs of newborns, children, aging parents, partners and employers are who the Denise Kaley Fund supports. The look of pure relief that comes with knowing that one can make a car payment, pay the rent/mortgage or keep the heat on is truly amazing to witness. To extend support as people are trying to extend their lives is a beautiful gift of humanity and a way to honor their valiant efforts.” -Sue Budz
Ways to Support the Denise Kaley Fund
Write a check payable to Berkshire Taconic/Denise Kaley Fund and mail to:
Berkshire Taconic/Denise Kaley Fund
c/o Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
800 North Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257
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To learn about gifts of securities, please contact the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation at (413) 229-0370. Consider including The Denise Kaley Fund in your Estate Plans. As gifts of bequests have been a vital resource to the fund’s growth and ability to serve the community, we are always especially grateful to our donors who are moved to include the Denise Kaley Fund in their wills and estate planning. Please feel free to contact the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation to learn more. As a fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation over 98% of your donations go directly and immediately into services for the women we support. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!