It’s the season of giving, and dozens of organizations are kicking it all off with this year’s Giving Tuesday.
The founders of Just A Break from cancer have a very personal connection to their cause. The organization works to give families a much needed “break” from a long, and expensive battle. A battle the Thorpe family knows all too well.
After a family trip to Mount Rushmore, Jen Thorpe was diagnosed with colon cancer. As her and her husband Greg went through chemotherapy treatments, they recognized dozens of other families in need.
'She would turn to me and say, 'We've gotta do something for this family',' Greg Thorpe said.
For eight months, the Thorpes anonymously began purchasing hotel rooms, restaurant vouchers, and movie tickets to help cancer families simply take a break.
'That's where our nonprofit started, was not as a nonprofit, but just as a vision my wife saw of doing something for others that no one else was doing,' Thorpe said.
On December 20th, 2015 Jen passed away; but her legacy lives on through Just a Break.
'It infuses hope. If we can win this, if we can get something good, then maybe we can beat the cancer. That was something I never really planed on just a break doing that but it's one of the coolest things for me,' Thorpe said.
Today, Just A Break has donated more than 500 care packages, expanding to areas like Atlanta, Georgia, and plans for Chicago, Las Vegas, and New Orleans. 100% of donations go to the charity, with zero administration fees.