Photography / Amy Counts Photography
A breast cancer diagnosis can change life in an instant.
Suddenly, calendars revolve around oncology appointments, scans, surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. But outside the treatment room, everyday life continues.
The refrigerator still needs groceries. The lawn keeps growing. The house still needs cleaning. And there still needs to be gas in the car to get to the next treatment appointment.
For Hoosiers undergoing active breast cancer treatment, those ordinary responsibilities can quickly become significant burdens.
That is where the Indiana Women In Need (IWIN) Foundation steps in.
Over the past 26 years, IWIN has provided practical, nonmedical assistance to Hoosiers in active breast cancer treatment. Based in Central Indiana, the local nonprofit serves individuals across all 92 Indiana counties and has supported more than 10,000 people statewide, distributing nearly $4 million in assistance.
That impact is being felt close to home. Since 2003, IWIN has provided assistance to 153 Johnson County residents, including 27 since the beginning of 2024.
For one recipient, that may mean gas for transportation to treatment. For another, it could be groceries when missed work has tightened the family budget. IWIN assistance can also help provide housekeeping, lawn care, wellness support and other practical needs.
“When you are healthy, preparing meals or keeping up with the house may simply be part of the week,” says Erin DeJong, executive director. “During cancer treatment, those same responsibilities can require energy, time and money that a person simply does not have to spare.”
The financial realities reflected in IWIN’s recipient data make that need even clearer. Across IWIN’s history, nearly two-thirds of recipients who reported income had an annual income level of $40,000 or less, and nearly half have experienced job disruption or unemployment during treatment. In Johnson County, the income percentage is similar.
At the same time, the need for assistance continues. With more than 5,800 breast cancer diagnoses in Indiana each year, IWIN is seeing a 10% increase in applications for assistance over 2025.
In September, IWIN hosted the Pink Soirée, its annual signature pink pajama party, presented by Everwise Credit Union, at The Heirloom at N.K. Hurst. Nearly 200 guests filled the room, helping raise $136,000 to support Hoosiers in treatment.
Southside corporate and community partners, including Franciscan Health, IMI, CenterPoint Energy, Johnson’s Hauling & Excavating and Rejuvenate Med Spa, supported the event at various sponsorship levels, helping make the evening a success. The next Pink Soirée is set for Sept. 11, 2027, at The Heirloom.
“The Pink Soirée showed what can happen when businesses, donors, survivors and community members come together around a shared purpose,” DeJong says. “Those partnerships help us reach more Hoosiers.”
IWIN is now asking the community to help through its “100 Hoosiers. 100 Days.” campaign, with a goal of raising $45,000 by Dec. 21 to provide $450 in grant assistance to 100 Hoosiers undergoing active breast cancer treatment.
Individuals can donate or become Community Champions by creating fundraising pages and inviting others to participate. IWIN is also seeking businesses willing to offer matching gifts. Current matching support from Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Housemasters is helping increase the impact of each contribution.
As IWIN expands outreach so more breast cancer patients in Johnson County know these services are available, additional funding is critical to support the applications that outreach generates.
“Matching gifts can turn one contribution into twice the impact for Hoosiers in treatment,” says DeJong. “We are grateful for the families and businesses already investing in this campaign and would love to see more of the Johnson County community step forward to join them.”
Every $450 raised represents grant assistance for another Hoosier in active treatment. Behind every grant is a very real, everyday need: groceries to feed a family, gas for treatments over an extended period of time, or lawn care while someone recovers from surgery and cannot rake leaves or push a mower. Each grant helps remove one more burden competing for a patient’s time, finances and energy.
