Resources

Travel Assistance (County-based)


If you live in any of the following* counties, you may qualify for free transportation or mileage reimbursement for travel to and from breast cancer treatment, support services and diagnostic services. There is no income level requirement. Contact the individual program to find out more.

*Androscoggin, Franklin, or Oxford Counties: Community Concepts 
1-800-866-5588 or 207-795-6073  http://community-concepts.org 

  
*Hancock or Washington Counties:
Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center
www.bethwrightcancercenter.org  207-664-0339
The Beth Wright Center can help people living in Hancock and Washington Counties with transportation needs to get to cancer treatment or other cancer programs. The Beth Wright Center can provide financial assistance to help with travel costs, can help with the logistics of transportation, and can arrange for volunteers to drive people to where they need to go. 

*Penobscot, Piscataquis, or Knox Counties (Knox = mileage reimbursement only): Accessing Cancer Care 973-3695 or 1-866-853-5969  https://www.penquis.org/services/transportation
Provides transportation services or mileage reimbursement for medical treatment of cancer, including diagnostic services, chemotherapy, radiation, support groups, and more. 

*York County: Connecting to Cancer Care  207-324-5762 http://yccac.org/    
 

Travel Assistance---Any County:

Angel Flight Northeast: 1-800-549-9980 or www.angelflightne.org arranges free flights to those requiring access to medical care.

Patient AirLift Services: http://www.palservices.org/ Arranges volunteer medical flights and free air transportation for needy individuals throughout the greater Northeast region.

Road to Recovery: Provides free transportation to treatments through American Cancer Society. Available in most Maine counties. Call for information. 1-800-227-2345
https://www.cancer.org/treatment/support-programs-and-services/patient-transportation.html

Lodging Assistance for People in Cancer Treatment


Arbor House: Located near Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Arbor House provides lodging for patients and their families. For more information about the Arbor House, call 207-795-2691. 

AstraZeneca Hope Lodge: AstraZeneca Hope Lodge, Boston, MA, offers a free place to stay for patients who travel to Boston for treatments. 617-396-5514 or 1-800-227-2345

Sarah's House of Maine, Holden: Sarah's House is a place where CancerCare of Maine patients can find a home away from home while undergoing their treatments. All patients must be referred by the patient advocate team at CancerCare of Maine (Brewer); they can be reached at 973-7478. 

 

General, Medical, and Support Resources (Maine-based and National) 

2-1-1 Maine is a comprehensive statewide directory of over 8,000 health and human services available in Maine. The toll free 2-1-1 hotline connects callers to trained call specialists who can help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Finding the answers to health and human services questions and locating resources is as quick and easy as dialing 2-1-1 or visiting www.211maine.org.

American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org  Maine Resources page: https://www.cancer.org/about-us/local/maine.html

Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center: Ellsworth, Maine  207-664-0339  www.bethwrightcancercenter.org
The Beth C. Wright Cancer Center serves Hancock and Washington Counties, where the incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates for cancer far exceed both the state and national averages.  The Beth C. Wright Center is the place to go if you have been diagnosed with cancer. The Center's mission is to "offer hope, knowledge, and support to cancer patients, their families, caregivers and friends by providing a source of information, social services and compassion through all stages of the cancer journey."  The services are free of charge.

For information, visit the Center's website, call 207-664-0339.


Breast Cancer Freebies http://breastcancerfreebies.com/
Free resources for people with breast cancer:
The Breast Cancer Freebies website provides information and links to many organizations "whose mission it is to make the breast cancer journey a little easier and take the burden off your wallet with free wigs, hats, make-up, house cleaning, transportation, and more."


CancerCare (not to be confused with CancerCare of Maine) is a nonprofit that offers free support and resources for cancer patients and their caregivers. They offer counseling (including via phone or online), support groups, "Connect Education Workshops (TM)", publications, financial assistance, co-payment assistance, and more. http://www.cancercare.org/


CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation (not to be confused with CancerCare of Maine) is a nonprofit organization that helps people being treated for cancer pay for the insurance co-payments on the prescription medicines they need. Breast cancer is one of the cancers covered by this program. To find out if you are eligible, call 1-866-55-copay (1-866-552-6729) or go to http://www.cancercopay.org.


Cancer Resource Foundation    cancer1source.org   508-630-2243 Free, customized cancer resources including a national genetic testing copay assistance program, help with post-mastectomy products and services, and other costs. 


Cancer Support Center of Maine:  207-322-0960    
The Cancer Support Center of Maine provides free services to cancer patients & survivors in Maine through outreach, education, advocacy, and social support.  Their goal is to help people navigate the often complex and confusing bureaucracy of health management in a time of crisis with an emphasis on free or reduced cost programs.


CarePartners:  1-877-626-1684  
CarePartners coordinates the provision of donated healthcare services for low-income, uninsured residents in five Maine counties (Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Waldo and York). The program, a partnership between MaineHealth, physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers, helps community members who don't qualify for public or private healthcare coverage programs get comprehensive, medically necessary healthcare.


Caring Connections Programs, Bangor: 941-2808   
"Caring Connections is a non-profit cooperative program of the Bangor YMCA and Eastern Maine Medical Center, providing outreach, education, advocacy, and support, as well as access to quality breast and cervical health services. Our primary goal is to improve the physical and emotional health/wellness of women in northern and downeast Maine.  

We provide access to no-cost breast and cervical screenings for women age 40 and over through the Maine Breast & Cervical Health Program.

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, we are here to help." 

  • As An Advocate: A Caring Connections staff person can accompany you to your appointments. We can take notes at your consults and help you to think of questions to ask.
  • Support Groups: We offer a weekly support group for all breast cancer survivors. The meeting is followed by an hour of upper body stretching and range of motion exercises in the warm water pool. Caring Connections staff can also put you in touch with other support groups around the state. Support is also offered to young survivors.
  • The Breast Cancer Support Network: We can help you connect with other survivors who have had a similar type of surgery or treatment. They can share their experiences with you.
  • Family Activities: Picnics, bowling, movie nights … a chance to connect with other families affected by breast cancer.
  • Annual Survivors' Retreat: A weekend retreat free to breast cancer survivors is held every fall at the Bangor YMCA Wilderness Center at Camp Jordan. 
  • Educational Programs: Educational programs are offered throughout the year on a variety of topics based on needs identified by participants.
  • Monthly Newsletter/Calendar of Events: An email or mailed version to anyone who would like to be on the mailing list, provides up-to-date activities and other current information of interest. You can also find us on Facebook. 
  • Referrals to other community resources: Help with medical bills, transportation and other costs.
     

Cleaning For a Reason is a nonprofit organization that serves the United States and Canada. Services are currently available in the Portland, Maine area. 

Their mission is to give the gift of free house cleaning for women undergoing treatment for any type of cancer. Their goal is to let these brave and strong women focus on their health and treatment while they focus on, and take away the worry and work of, cleaning their homes– free of charge. Find out more at www.cleaningforareason.org.

Cochrane Collaboration and the Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Collaboration is an international not-for-profit organization, providing up-to-date information about the effects of health care. Systematic reviews are their main product and are published electronically in successive issues of The Cochrane Library. Although it requires a paid subscription to access the Cochrane Library's extensive reviews and resources, free summaries of studies on many health-related topics can be accessed at the site. To access free Cochrane Library summaries of breast cancer-related studies click here.


Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation: "Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation is dedicated to achieving a future without breast cancer by engaging the public and the scientific communities in innovative research on cause and prevention. We do this through performing and facilitating innovative and collaborative research, translating science to engage the public as informed partners, and inspiring novel research."
Access information about breast cancer, including recent research and women's health. http://drsusanloveresearch.org/


Force (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered)
http://www.facingourrisk.org
FORCE is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and website founded by Dr. Sue Friedman after her own diagnosis of breast cancer at the age of 32. Their website provides help and direction to women at risk for hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer, as well as information about options for managing and living with these risk factors. Your can call their toll-free helpline at866-RISK(7475) or email them at info@facingourrisk.org. 

 

HealthFinder.gov is an informative website provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It promotes better health through education and awareness. "Breast Cancer" is included among the dozens of Health Topics. 

 

Heating Assistance (Also see Washington Hancock Community Agency listing below.)

   Contact the Community Action Program (CAP) office nearest to you. Call the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) at (207) 626-4600 or 1-800-452-4668. If hearing impaired: TTY 1-800-452-4603

   Citizen’s Energy: Fuel oil assistance. 1- 877-Joe-4-oil
    www.citizensenergy.com/main/Home.html 

 

Joe Andruzzi Foundation: The Patient Touchdown Grant Program helps cancer patients and their families alleviate financial stress by providing one-time grants up to $700 to cover pressing daily living expenses. 


Knitted Knockers are soft, comfortable knit prosthetics for breast cancer survivors. Knockers are provided for free and can be ordered through the national website: www.knittedknockers.org or by contacting the Maine group directly --
email: knockersinmaine@gmail.com; phone: (207) 478-1325, ask for Melissa.


Living Beyond Breast Cancer www.lbbc.org 
From the Living Beyond Breast Cancer website: "Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) is dedicated to assisting you, whether you are newly diagnosed, in treatment, recently completed treatment, are years beyond or are living with metastatic breast cancer. We are also here for your family members, caregivers, friends and healthcare providers to provide breast cancer information and support.

As a national education and support organization, our goal is to improve your quality of life and help you take an active role in your ongoing recovery or management of the disease, regardless of educational background, social support or financial means."

Look Good...Feel Better
Learn to cope with appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. Look Good… Feel Better is a free program to help women who are undergoing cancer treatment.  It is offered in group sessions which provide education, information, and support. 

•    Practice make-up techniques with skin-care products
•    Become informed about free wigs and turbans
•    Take home complimentary cosmetics

Look Good ... Feel Better is a free program sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the Personal Care Products Council, and the National Cosmetology Association.

Mabel Wadsworth Women's Health Center:  Located in Bangor.  947-5337 or 1-800-948-5337 (Mon.-Thurs.) 

Mabel Wadsworth Women's Health Center offers annual exams, breast health and menopause education, and support to all Maine women, especially those who are of limited income, lesbian and/or women with disabilities.

Maine CDC Breast and Cervical Health Program: 1-800-350-5180; if hearing impaired: TTY 711 (Maine Relay)
The Maine CDC Breast and Cervical Health Program (MBCHP) is a state and federally funded program which provides free screening and follow-up services for the early detection of breast and cervical cancer. A woman is eligible for the MBCHP if she is 40 or older*; has no health insurance, or health insurance that does not cover mammograms or Pap tests, or has high deductibles, and her income falls within the MBCHP guidelines. Women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer who qualify for MBCHP may also be eligible for free medical care through the Treatment Act.
*(There are limited openings for women age 35-39 who have seen a doctor and need additional tests for a possible breast or cervical cancer OR if they have not had a Pap in 5 or more years.) 

MaineCare: 207-287-2674, TTY 711   Provides health insurance to people meeting income and asset restriction guidelines. 

MaineHealth Cancer Care Network: Offers a comprehensive and helpful website for anyone affected by cancer. 1-844-944-8094

MaineHealth MedAcess Prescription Assistance Program: 1-877-275-1787 Provides help with paying for prescription medications.


Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)  
Medicare is health insurance for people age 65 or older and under age 65 with certain disabilities. 

National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC): Deadline 2020® is NBCC's mission to know how to end breast cancer by January 1, 2020. Get involved! Learn about the Deadline and NBCC's strategic plan here.
Click here for breast cancer information from NBCC.

National Cancer Institute (includes the Cancer Information Service) www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/types/breast

National Library of Medicine's Medline Plus Breast Cancer Information
www.nlm.nkh.gov/medlineplus/breastcancer.html 
A service of the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Provides links to the latest news in breast cancer research. Also has many interesting interactive tools and general information about breast cancer.


Open Arms Support Group: 207-478-0388 brookeismail@yahoo.com
360 Broadway - Carol Strauss Conference Room, St. Joseph Hospital, Bangor 
Open Arms is a non-profit organization of women helping newly diagnosed breast cancer patients navigate through the process of healing and surviving.


Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation: 866-316-PANF (7263) http://www.PANFoundation.org  Provides co-payment assistance to underinsured patients with chronic diseases, including breast cancer. Qualified patients will be granted up to $7,500 per year to cover out-of-pocket expenses associated with their treatment.  Patients can apply for assistance online or by calling the toll-free number.

Patient Advocate Foundation: 1-800-532-5274 or www.patientadvocate.org  A national non-profit organization that provides professional case management services to Americans with chronic, life-threatening, and debilitating illnesses. PAF case managers serve as active liaisons for you and your insurers, employers, or creditors to resolve insurance, job retention, and debt crisis matters as they relate to your diagnosis.


Penquis Women’s Health Services: 1-800-941-2836  Health clinics offer sliding scale fees for people who qualify.

Pink Aroostook: A breast health program of Cary Medical Center designed for support, advocacy, education and awareness of breast health issues throughout Aroostook County. Provides educational and limited financial resources to people with a breast cancer diagnosis living in Aroostook County.
207-551-4284 http://www.carymedicalcenter.org/pink-aroostook/or www.facebook.com/pinkaroostook

Road to Recovery: free transportation to treatments (through American Cancer Society 1-800-227-2345)

Silent Spring Institute: www.silentspring.org
The Silent Spring Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to researching the links between women's health and the environment. 

Sister Study: www.sisterstudy.org 
Click here to learn more about the progress of this important study of the environmental and genetic risk factors for breast cancer. The study is sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and has recruited 50,000 women, ages 35-74, whose sisters have had breast cancer.

 

Susan G. Komen® (National Website) www.komen.org

Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation: The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation® is dedicated to supporting TNBC-specific research and to providing meaningful programs and services to the TNBC community. http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/ 

Washington Hancock Community Agency: (207) 664-2424    www.whcacap.org A community action agency dedicated to fighting poverty and helping low-income people in Down East Maine. They offer a wide range of services including heating assistance, transportation, weatherization, and more.


Young Survival Coalition: www.youngsurvival.org   877-972-1011
An international, non-profit network of breast cancer survivors and supporters dedicated to the concerns and issues that are unique to young women and breast cancer. Through action, advocacy and awareness, the YSC seeks to educate the medical, research, breast cancer and legislative communities, and to persuade them to address breast cancer in women 40 and under.