The fight against cancer continues, and Community Electric Cooperative recently received uplifting news from a Hampton Roads support group about the impact of the cooperative family’s generosity on neighbors battling the disease.
“Thanks to your $3,241 donation, Lee’s Friends awarded 15 grants to 15 cancer patients struggling to meet basic human needs due to their cancer diagnosis,” Lee’s Friends Assistant Director Becky Ruffin wrote to CEC Manager of Communications Jessica Parr. “The grants were awarded to patients dealing with a variety of cancers including breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer, and multiple myeloma. Each patient was struggling with a specific crisis due to the burden of their cancer diagnosis. … The breakdown of the grants was: nine for food cards, three for utility costs to ensure no disruption of service, and three for gas cards.”
The donation to Lee’s Friends resulted from a weeks-long charitable drive conducted by CEC employees two years ago. Team members sold 50/50 raffle tickets to raise support for the nonprofit, which offers free, person-to-person help and emotional, practical, and financial assistance to cancer patients and their families.
“We are grateful to know that our donation to Lee’s Friends provided meaningful, direct support to people in our community who are battling cancer,” Parr said. “Speaking for our entire cooperative, I can say this strengthens our commitment to being a dependable neighbor and offering help where it is needed most.”
According to the American Cancer Society, one in three men and women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Lee’s Friends was founded after the 1978 death of 16-year-old Lee Harkins from Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer affecting the lymphatic system. As stated on its website, Lee’s Friends “envisions a future where in Hampton Roads, no one faces cancer alone. Lee’s Friends is there to assist and support people in their cancer journey.”
Lee’s Friends provides several primary services, including:
- Emotional support
- Transportation (844 rides provided in 2024)
- Emergency humanitarian grants (315 grants totaling more than $68,000 in 2024)