Why We Give to St. Joseph’s Foundation

Hear from your neighbors about why they give to St. Joseph’s Foundation.

The Swansons: Helping Local Families

Cancer survivor Wayne Swanson wants to help others undergoing treatment for cancer. That’s why he and his wife, Sylvia, created the Pay It Forward for Cancer Fund through the Essentia Health-St. Joseph’s Foundation.

The donor-designated fund helps cancer patients with daily living expenses, such as transportation costs, food, mortgage payments and electric bills.

“Going through cancer treatment is not a party, and after I made it through, we wanted to show how thankful we were to the community,” says Wayne, whose friends had started a similar fund in another city.

“It’s not about the dollars we raise but about the families we help,” Sylvia says. “The funds are staying local and helping people within our own community. The goal is that after they have undergone treatment, they, too, will pay it forward.”