Food voucher program aims to aid cancer patients

by Aimee Hornberger<br>Herald Staff Writer
| December 9, 2005 8:00 PM

Moses Lake Cancer Foundation and Ann's Diner partner to provide meals

MOSES LAKE — When the Moses Lake Cancer Foundation approached Ann's Diner about partnering together to provide food vouchers for cancer patients, there was no hesitation to get the program going.

"We should do it because it's needed," said Ann's Diner owner Pati Ann. "We're hoping it opens other doors for other programs."

The foundation purchases $20 meal vouchers which are handed out to cancer patients at the Moses Lake Clinic Oncology Department. Patients then use the vouchers for a one time meal purchase at Ann's Diner.

"During that period of time you just don't feel like fixing a meal," said foundation executive director Jan DeBeaumont.

Meals can be delivered to the patients and their families or picked up at Ann's Diner. Patients can also stop by the diner and use their voucher when they come to Moses Lake for medical treatment.

The program began Dec. 1 and is open to all cancer patients in the area including Moses Lake, Warden, Odessa, Othello, Ephrata, Soap Lake and Wilson Creek.

"They're just pleasantly surprised and grateful for them," said RN Angie Anderson with the Moses Lake Clinic of the response so far. "We're hoping to really continue this and offer this as a service here for patients."

Every day Anderson sees chemotherapy patients and says the food voucher program provides a basic need at a stressful time in a patient's life.

Depending on treatments, chemotherapy can last for a couple of hours a day on up to a six-month period.

As treatment continues, fatigue and sometimes emotional stress increases, Anderson said. "It's nice to be able to offer a meal, that it's one less thing they have to think about."

The foundation's original goal was to purchase a radiation machine for the oncology department. When costs for the machine skyrocketed, the foundation board decided to look at other ways to use donation monies and help the community.

There was all this money here and it isn't being used, DeBeaumont said.

Eventually, DeBeaumont wants to involve surgeon's offices and cancer treatment organizations in the voucher program.

Ann's Diner is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information call the Moses Lake Cancer Foundation at (509)764-4644.