About Us | What We Do
Staycation Respite Program
Staycation Mission
For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation (FPS) enables cancer patients and their loved ones to strengthen, deepen and unify their relationships by creating unforgettable and lasting respite experiences. The FPS Staycation Respite Program equips families with resources for respite, reflection and financial relief when a family is unable to travel due to advanced stage cancer. This opportunity allows families to connect and create magical moments within their own homes.
About the Program – A Hidden Gem at FPS
Arising from the need to fulfill our mission to advanced-stage cancer patients who cannot travel, FPS Program Coordinators gift Staycations to provide patients with the opportunity for connection and comfort. Since we started this informal, organic outreach, we have sent dozens of packages to young families facing cancer. The Staycation package encourages the patient, caregiver, and immediate family to Take A Break at Home. It includes resources to address the emotional, psychosocial, financial and spiritual needs of the family unit. Respite is respite, regardless of where and how a family can find peace, solace, comfort, connection and conversation. The therapeutic benefits from our Staycation resources align with those received via the travel respite program. Further, each Staycation Respite includes a generous cash stipend to enable families to create memories with an experience, meal, or other activity close to home.
We are currently accepting nominations to this program from oncology professionals; if you are interested, please get in touch with us at program@takeabreakfromcancer.org so we can schedule a quick in-service and provide you with the nomination materials or click one of the buttons below to submit an inquiry form.
Inquiries and Nominations
The criteria for our Staycation Respite program include the following:
- Patient must be between 21-55 years of age.
- Patient must have an oncologist diagnosis of advanced stage cancer (Stages III and IV) and unable to travel.
- Patient must be nominated by a health care professional who is a member of the patient’s oncology team.
- Patient must be in active treatment within the last six months. Active treatment includes chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation and/or surgery.
- Patient must reside in DE, PA, NJ, NY or MD.
- Patient must have an adult caregiver to participate in the staycation respite experience.
- Patient must not have been a prior participant in the FPS Respite Program.
Interested nominators must undergo a brief in-service to nominate a patient for the Staycation Program. Once completed, the nominators will assess their patients and be able to nominate advanced stage patients for our Staycation Program by completing the required Staycation nomination forms. All Staycation packages are mailed within two weeks of the accepted nomination as time is usually critical.
We are currently accepting applications for the Staycation Respite Program. If you are an oncology professional and would like more information about the nomination process, please reach out to our Program Team via email at program@takeabreakfromcancer.org or call our Mission Coordinator, Pam Brumbaugh, at 267.708.0510. Cancer does not stop in the midst of COVID-19 and our families experience anxiety, isolation and fear daily. We thank you in advance for your support of the Staycation Respite Program.
A new nominator, Megan Cannone of Anne Arundel Medical Center in Maryland, provided the following testimonial.
Dear FPS,
I’ll do anything to help your organization.
I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the staycation package you put together for the Clayton family. She was heartbroken that she wasn’t able to travel due to the rapid progression of her cancer, but so thankful for the care package you all provided. Samantha transferred to an inpatient hospice house from the hospital and didn’t even get a chance to go home. Your package provided items that brought her comfort and the money was used to not only buy a few necessities for her son, but other items such as games, to make memories and hopefully make her end of life transition just a little more peaceful. You are an incredible resource and foundation. Thank you, thank you.
Warm Regards,
Megan Cannone, LCSW-C, OPN-CG
How Can You Help?
We are looking for help to increase our supplies and build meaningful Staycation Respite packages. If you own a business or work for a company that might be able to provide in-kind goods for our packages, please email program@takeabreakfromcancer.org. We also welcome any monetary support for general donations.
