Empower

Cancer Support Community Central Ohio provides this special program to help people diagnosed with cancer connect with beneficial resources. Empower focuses on helping individuals and families address emotional and social needs by providing a space to talk about challenges, connect with others, and receive short-term financial respite. The Empower Program ensures cancer patients and their families don’t feel alone and have the support they need—all at no cost, because

Community Is Stronger Than Cancer.

The Empower Program assists individuals and families impacted by a cancer diagnosis by offering emotional support, community connections, and limited financial respite. This is a Personalized Service Provided at No Cost offered by licensed Community Health workers. CHW’s are trusted public health professionals who serve as a bridge between communities, health care systems, and social services. They promote health equity by addressing social, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence well-being. CHWs use their knowledge of the community’s culture, language, and needs to improve access to care and empower individuals to take charge of their health.

Please note: The Cancer Support Community Central Ohio does not provide emergency assistance or crisis intervention.

Personalized services at no charge.

• Serve as a bridge between communities and health/social service systems.

• Deliver education and resources tailored to community needs.

• Conduct home visits or fieldwork to identify barriers and support follow-up care.

• Promote disease prevention, chronic condition management, and healthy lifestyles.

• Participate in interdisciplinary teams with nurses, social workers, and case managers.

Questions? Please email:

chw@cancersupportohio.org

Frequently Asked Questions

Have Question? We are here to help

What are the program Qualifications?

• We serve households who have income up to 350% above the federal poverty line for financial assistance. There are no financial guidelines for support.
• You must have a recent cancer diagnosis in your household and be in active treatment or have been in active treatment in the last 6 months or have lost a household member to cancer within the last 6 months.

What to expect from our initial phone call

A Community Health Worker (CHW) will contact you and go through what our program has to offer and answer any questions you may have. We will work together to determine if Empower is a good fit for you.
We’ll gather some quick information during our initial call and schedule a time for enrollment.
You’ll then receive an email summarizing what we spoke about and informing you of any documents we need from you.

Documents needed for enrollment

Proof in diagnosis: This can be a letter from your doctor or a screenshot of your health record. It just needs to have your name and diagnosis on it.
Proof of income: Can be a paystub or picture of a tax form.
Signed ROI – we will send this to you via email after our first call
Completed distress screener – we will send this to you via email after our first call
We ask that you please complete and email us all documents needed before your enrollment appointment.

What if I have no income?

No problem, in this case we need a written or typed letter telling us your name and that you don’t have income at this time and sign at the bottom.

What to expect from month-to-month

We will meet once a month through a home visit, office visit, virtual visit, or a phone call. Whatever you feel most comfortable with. The purpose of these visits is to check in how you are doing and where we can help.
*Please note* if you miss a check-in and we cannot reach you 3 times to reschedule, you will potentially be discharged from the program.
We ask that you try your best to stay connected with your CHW.

We are here to help.