the Samfund
Provides support to young adults who are struggling financially because of cancer. Through direct financial assistance and free online support and education, young adults can move forward with their lives after cancer.
Transitioning into your 20s and 30s is difficult; the job market is tough, real estate is expensive and the cost of tuition is at an all-time high.
Now imagine that you’ve just finished cancer treatment. You’ve lost valuable time and savings, and maybe your job. You feel like you’re years behind everyone else in your age group. To top it off, you’re suddenly faced with many expenses you didn’t have to think about during treatment.
When all of these issues collide, how do you find a job, pay for rent and afford health insurance?
Sam created The Samfund in 2003. Diagnosed in 1999 with Ewing Sarcoma and in 2001 with Secondary Myelodysplastic Syndrome (with a bone marrow transplant in August of 2001), she saw how little support there was for young adults who were struggling once treatment ended. As she quickly came to learn, cancer isn’t free.
We are the first and largest nonprofit organization in the country that provides direct financial assistance and free online support and education to young adults, regardless of where they live or their specific cancer diagnosis. Since 2005, we have awarded over $2 million in grants and provided a free Webinar series, “Moving Forward With Your Financial Health,” offering young adults the tools and guidance they need to move forward with their lives. We also recently launched our newest program, in partnership with Triage Cancer: https://cancerfinances.org, to help young adults and others make well-informed financial decisions during and after cancer treatment.
