Each day, nearly 50 adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients—those between the ages of 15 and 39—come to Dana-Farber for treatment, but many never connect with one another because they wait for appointments on different floors. Through HomeGoods’ “Find Home Anywhere” mission, and funded largely by donations from its generous shoppers, HomeGoods and the TJX Foundation have made a $3.6 million, 3-year commitment to Dana-Farber. This will fund the construction of the HomeGoods Young Adult Lounge in an effort to improve the patient experience. The gift will also help further research in this field through the establishment of the HomeGoods Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Research Fund, and support the Pediatric Resource Program with the HomeGoods Housing Grants Fund.
The goal of the new lounge is to create a sense of community for AYA patients and provide them with an opportunity to create organic connections. Right now, many AYA patients feel like outliers when they go to treatment, as they may be the oldest patients at the pediatric Jimmy Fund Clinic, or the youngest at the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care. The lounge will provide a more age-appropriate and comfortable setting for AYA patients and encourage them to build relationships with others in their age group.
The lounge will be available to all of Dana-Farber’s AYA programs and services, providing space for activities such as support groups, workshops, and educational sessions.
“At HomeGoods, we know that home is more than a place—it’s a feeling, and that a sense of belonging is critical to health and happiness,” said Emily Trent, senior vice president of marketing, HomeGoods and Homesense. “We are thrilled to expand our 20+ year partnership with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to create the HomeGoods Young Adult Lounge. Our hope is that all AYA patients not only feel safe, comfortable and at home when they come in for treatment but also have the opportunity to create a stronger sense of inclusion and togetherness with other patients in their age group.”
Research supported by the HomeGoods Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Research Fund will be carried out under the direction of Lindsay Frazier, MD, in consultation with Ann LaCasce, MD, MMSc. The two will serve as co-medical directors of the Center for Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology; LaCasce is also director of the Dana-Farber/Mass General Brigham Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology and is the Fellowship Program in Hematology/Oncology Chair at Dana-Farber. The HomeGoods Housing Grants Fund will be overseen by Joe Chabot, director of the Pediatric Resource Program.
Over the course of 23 years, HomeGoods has raised more than $24 million in support of Dana-Farber’s lifesaving mission with in-store fundraising from customer donations and the sale of charitable merchandise.
For more stories about the impact of philanthropy at Dana-Farber, please visit DanaFarberImpact.org.