Hope Fund continues to help ‘Valley’ residents

SPRING MILLS — Centre County has the Centre Foundation and the United Way for people or organizations that need financial help. In the Penns Valley area, people can call the Hope for Penns Valley Fund.

Started in 2002 the Hope Fund was born when friends of TJ Coursen, a valley resident, were informed that TJ had a very rare form of cancer and the doctors here in the U.S. had thrown up their hands, claiming there was nothing more they could do for the young father of three kids.

It was learned there was an experimental treatment in Germany, but how was this young father going to afford the cost of flying overseas, even if it would save or prolong his life?

His neighbors and friends in the valley got together, and the idea of a fund to finance the trip to Germany and the experimental treatment got underway. With the money raised by the group, Coursen and his wife left for Germany, and he received the treatment he needed. Upon his return, he was filled with hope that the treatment would prolong his life and he could see his children grow up. When he returned from Germany, the conversation among him and his friends moved beyond his needs to the needs of other people in the valley.

The group wanted to create a contingency fund that would be available for residents of the Penns Valley Area School District. With a local fund administrated by local people, the money could be accessed quickly to meet needs.

Since its inception, the Hope Fund has served 300 individuals or families, and it has spent more than $910,000 supporting them. A board of local people established the 501(c)3 organization, and Dan Gensimore was elected to lead the group. Gensimore and the other board members have worked tirelessly to see that the funds go to the people in need.

The fund is not for handing out cash to individuals. It will, however, be used to purchase equipment that may be needed or pay for contractors to provide renovations to a home. The fund has paid a month’s rent when the cost of cancer treatments has outstripped the ability of the family to afford both the drugs and the rent.

One example of the fund’s helping hand at work is that of a young man who was diagnosed with cancer. His parents were divorced, and his mother spent a great deal of time with the young man while he fought the disease. The Hope Fund paid for three months’ rent and bought a gas card for the family. The fund’s board of administrators has agreed to support the family as long as necessary.

The Hope Fund for Penns Valley has a website with more stories about the people it has helped — pennsvalleyhopefund.com. The website also has a form that one must fill out to ask the administrators for help.

For more information, email pennsvalleyhope [email protected]