Philadelphia Police Officer joins fight so no cancer patient goes hungry.

Mother Theresa was quoted as saying “None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” One young woman who is doing her part working toward something wonderful is 12-year Philadelphia Police veteran and Community Relations Officer Vanessa Washington. Working alongside Legacy of Hope as part of its Emergency Patient Support Network, Officer Washington has made a tremendous impact by delivering much-needed groceries to the homes of local cancer patients and their families.

An often overlooked but critical issue of cancer is the financial toxicity the disease imposes on patients and families. All too often, cancer patients go hungry because of financial distress brought on by lost jobs, lost hours and wages, and the insurmountable cost of treating the disease. Legacy of Hope created the Emergency Patient Support Network in partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department, Brown’s Super Stores, Philadelphia hospitals, and the United Way, to effectively eliminate hunger among Philadelphia’s cancer patients. Patients at considerable risk of going hungry are identified by oncology social workers from every major hospital in Philadelphia, and the Emergency Patient Support Network jumps into action. Every Tuesday morning, Philadelphia Police officers pick up healthy groceries purchased by Legacy of Hope from three different grocery stores and deliver them to the doors of 15-20 cancer patients and families.