CHRISTINE B FOUNDATION INC

CBF'S CANCER NUTRITION SERVICES AND RELATED NOURISHING HOPE TRIAL ACTIVITIES REPRESENT THE ORGANIZATION'S LARGEST PROGRAMMATIC EXPENSE IN FY25. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES VARIOUS PERSONALIZED SERVICES, INCLUDING HOSPITAL BASED PRODUCE, HOME-DELIEVERED MEDICALLY TAILORED GROCERY PACKAGES, AND ONCOLOGY DIETITIAN COUNSELING. THIS IS AVAILABLE AT NO COST TO INDIVIDUALS IN ACTIVE CANCER TREATMENT, RECOVERY, AND MEMBERS OF THEIR HOUSEHOLDS, ENSURING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO NUTRIENT-RICH FOOD REGARDLESS OF CANCER TYPE, AGE, INCOME LEVEL, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, OR RACE. DURING THE PROGRAM YEAR, CBF HAD 4,502 ENCOUNTERS WITH 670 PATIENTS, ACROSS 8 MAINE COUNTIES, REACHING 1,588 INDIVIDUALS OVERALL. EXPENSES WERE USED TO SOURCE, ASSEMBLE, AND DISTRIBUTE 2,745 GROCERY PACKAGES (EQUIVALENT TO 82,350 MEALS), 1,350 PRODUCE PACKAGES, AND 20 DIETITIAN COUNSELING SESSIONS. MORE THAN 100 VOLUNTEERS SUPPORTED SAFE, RELIABLE, AND COMPASSIONATE ASSEMBLY, HOSPITAL-BASED DISTRIBUTION, AND HOME DELIVERY SERVICES ACROSS 11,500 SQUARE MILES. THIS EXPENSE ALSO SUPPORTED THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CBF'S MULTI-YEAR NOURISHING HOPE TRIAL, WHICH EVALUATES HOW ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD AND DIETETIC COUNSELING IMPACTS HEALTH OUTCOMES AND THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING OF FAMILIES FACING CANCER. FY25 ACTIVITIES INCLUDED RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION, CONSULTING SERVICES, PROTOCOL DEVELOPMENT, AND COLLABORATION WITH RESEARCHERS AT THE YALE UNIVERISTY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN PREPARATION FOR TRIAL ENROLLMENT. THE STUDY IS DESIGNED TO RECRUIT 100 CANCER PATIENTS WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF THREE INTERVENTION GROUPS INVOLVING MEDICALLY TAILORED GROCERY DELIVERY, DIETITIAN COUNSELING, OR USUAL CARE WITH DELAYED GROCERY SUPPORT.