A federal lawsuit prompted the closing of a Northwest Arkansas cancer resource and support program earlier this week, but people who use the Hope Supply Program said they hope the Bentonville office opens soon.
The Bentonville program is one of three the Breast Cancer Society runs nationwide. The local program started May 16, 2014, at 104 S. Walton Blvd. Its program coordinator, Tara Emerson, said in an August interview the charity provides free items such as hygiene and beauty products and breast prostheses, bras and wigs to cancer patients and survivors. Emerson didn't reply to a phone message left at the office Wednesday.
Elizabeth Hammons of Rogers is a breast cancer patient and regular visitor to the Hope Supply Program.
"It may be true, but I just don't believe it," she said of the government's allegations the Mesa, Ariz.-based Breast Cancer Society and three other associated charities collectively spent less than 3 percent of donations on cancer patients.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from all 50 states and the District of Columbia called the society, Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services and Children's Cancer Fund of America "sham" cancer charities in a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court for Arizona. All four organizations were created and controlled by the same network of people.
The Arkansas attorney general's office is part of the lawsuit, but the agency hasn't received any complaints about the Breast Cancer Society or the Hope Supply Program, said Judd Deere, communications director.
The commission called the lawsuit one of the largest actions against charity fraud.
The lawsuit alleges the charities bilked more than $187 million from consumers by telling donors their money would help cancer patients, but the overwhelming majority of donations benefited only the charities' leaders, their families and friends and fundraisers.
The Breast Cancer Society raised $71.7 million in donations nationwide between 2008 and 2012 and used just 0.68 percent on direct financial assistance to individuals with breast cancer, the lawsuit alleges.
Hammons said she received a grant from the society, which provided at home care while she was recovering from breast cancer surgery.
Visiting Angels in Lowell sent a certified nursing assistant to Hammons' house as needed. Kathryn Stiles, Visiting Angels administrator, said Hammons received a $1,000 grant to pay for services and the Breast Cancer Society always paid its bill in a timely manner. Hammons is the only client they had that received any money from the society.
Leaders of the Breast Cancer Society settled with the government before the complaint was filed and agreed to dissolve the organization with the stipulation that, pending court approval, it could spin off the Hope Supply Warehouse program to a legitimate, qualified charity.
Hammons said she received an email stating the center hoped to open in a couple of weeks.
Elizabeth Cluff, an employee of the Breast Cancer Society in Mesa, Ariz., confirmed the goal is to keep Hope Supply Programs running in some form. Its only other office is in Pennsylvania.
The society removed its social media accounts and the only thing left on its website was a letter from James T. Reynolds II, executive director.
"The silver lining in all of this is that the organization has the ability to continue operating our most valued and popular program, the Hope Supply," he stated.
Christy Scarrow, vice president of patient services at Hope Cancer Resources in Springdale, said the organization has referred hundreds of patients to the Bentonville site over the past year.
"We provide financial assistance to patients, but not food or supplies," she said. "I'm not sure where else these people will go to get those supplies now. They were helpful."
Sarah Faitak, director of the Breast Center, a Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas clinic, said they also referred several patients to the program.
"We only heard good things about them," she said.
NW News on 05/21/2015