Co-Founders Corner | Holding a Household Together

Co-Founders' Corner

Co-founder Corner is a series where we share what we see and hear through our work with local breast cancer patients. These stories reflect the everyday realities behind each request for support and the many ways your generosity makes a difference.

One of the things we hear most often from the women who contact Dance for the Cure is concern for everyone else.

Before they talk about themselves, they talk about their children. They talk about an aging parent who depends on them. They talk about a spouse recovering from an illness or a family member who needs daily support.

A breast cancer diagnosis brings appointments, treatments, surgeries, and recovery. Through it all, many patients continue carrying the responsibilities of an entire household. School lunches still need to be packed. Children need rides to activities. Meals need to be prepared. Family members need care. Life continues moving forward, even during treatment.

For patients who are single parents or primary caregivers, the challenge extends far beyond their own health. Each day becomes a balancing act between receiving care and providing it.

Research shows that caregiving responsibilities can place significant demands on families during a cancer diagnosis. Patients often find themselves managing treatment while maintaining family routines and caring for loved ones who rely on them. For many households, keeping everything together becomes one of the most difficult parts of the journey.

As co-founders of Dance for the Cure, Joanne and Kathleen have met countless women facing this reality. Their stories remind us that breast cancer affects far more than one person. It touches every member of a household.

"Many of the women I speak with are focused on everyone around them. They're worried about their children, their aging parents, and keeping their household running. Even when they're facing treatment themselves, they're still taking care of others. That level of responsibility can be exhausting."— Kathleen Cirioli, Co-Founder 

Parents often work hard to preserve a sense of normalcy for their children. Caregivers continue showing up for loved ones who depend on them. They do all of this while navigating medical appointments, treatment schedules, and the physical effects of breast cancer.

These responsibilities can create practical challenges as well. Childcare may be needed during appointments. Grocery bills continue arriving each week. Utility bills, transportation costs, and other household expenses remain part of daily life. Families work to keep routines in place while adapting to circumstances they never expected to face.

This is where community support can make a meaningful difference.

Dance for the Cure exists to help local breast cancer patients facing financial hardship in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset counties. As a 100% volunteer-run organization, we have gifted more than $1.4 million to local patients since our founding in 1999. Every dollar raised stays focused on helping individuals and families in our communities.

"A gift from Dance for the Cure often helps a family keep their routine in place during a difficult season. Whether it's groceries, childcare, transportation, or another essential expense, those everyday supports can make a meaningful difference when so much is already being asked of a household."— Joanne Liscovitz, Co-Founder 

The support provided by Dance for the Cure helps families maintain the essentials that keep a household moving forward. A grocery bill paid, childcare covered during treatment, or assistance with household expenses can ease some of the pressure that builds when caregiving responsibilities continue throughout a breast cancer journey.

For a parent trying to create stability for their children, or a caregiver supporting a loved one while managing their own diagnosis, that assistance reaches far beyond a single expense. It helps preserve routines, reduce stress, and create space to focus on healing.

Every fundraiser, volunteer, donor, and supporter contributes to that impact. Together, our community helps local families carry responsibilities that can feel overwhelming during treatment.

Breast cancer may change many things, yet families still gather around dinner tables, children still need encouragement, and loved ones still depend on one another. Through the generosity of our supporters, Dance for the Cure helps local families hold their households together when they need it most.

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Sources Used

1. National Cancer Institute – Financial Toxicity and Cancer Care

   https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/managing-care/track-care-costs/financial-toxicity-pdq 

2. American Cancer Society – Financial Hardship and Cancer

   https://www.cancer.org/cancer/financial-insurance-matters/managing-costs/financial-hardship.html 

3. Living Beyond Breast Cancer – Financial Help Resources

   https://www.lbbc.org/financial-help-resources