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After losing her two sisters to breast cancer, Hope Chest for Breast Cancer® founder Barbara Hensley, became painfully aware of the challenges faced by under-served women experiencing breast cancer. She decided to do something. In 2001, Barbara founded the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Foundation. Seeing women, already struggling just to afford rent and food for themselves and their children, face breast cancer disturbed and angered Barbara. She acted and created the Hope Chest Emergency Assistance Program. Through collaboration with local healthcare providers, she provides emergency funds administered directly by the care teams. If a patient needs to make rent payment, an electric bill or other survival-critical bill, the caregiver takes the bill, the check is written, and mailed– without additional red tape or paperwork. Hope Chest’s mission is to provide the quickest access to help with the most urgent emergency needs for local women and their families in treatment for breast cancer.

In 2003, Barbara created the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer up-scale, retail stores to provide an ongoing revenue stream to fund the Hope Chest Emergency Assistance Program. Hope Chest raises critical resources through the resale of upscale furniture, decorative accessories and designer women’s clothing donated by individuals, retail and wholesale businesses. Everyone wins: the donors have an outlet for their excess items, shoppers purchase quality merchandize at exceptional prices and critical essentials of local women in need are funded. The Foundation uses funds from the stores and other monies secured through fund-raising to provide the quick and efficient access to the most urgent needs of local, financially-challenged patients in treatment for breast cancer. Since its founding, Hope Chest Foundation has served over 2,000 patients and their families.

The Hope Chest retail shops are open seven days a week at both locations: one in Orono/Navarre and one in St. Paul. Visit www.hopechest.us for more information!