Breast cancer treatment can take over a life. Appointments, side effects and bills pile up, while groceries, rides and childcare still need handling.

A Massachusetts nonprofit called Ellie Fund helps with those everyday needs at no cost to patients. Eligible Chelsea residents can apply on their own.

Who can get help

Patients must meet all three of these conditions, according to Ellie Fund:

Diagnosed with breast cancer

Currently in treatment, such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or a clinical trial

Living in Massachusetts or getting treatment at a Massachusetts facility

The group says it does not discriminate based on income, gender, marital status, age, race or ethnicity, immigration status or religion.

What it offers

Ellie Fund's support includes:

Grocery gift cards for most Massachusetts grocery stores

Help getting to treatment, including gas cards, medical escorts, MBTA programs, parking and rides through Uber or Lyft

Light housekeeping

Partial reimbursement for child care and senior care

Gift cards for prepared meal delivery

Gift cards toward acupuncture, oncology massage and similar therapies

How to apply

Patients or caregivers fill out an online self-referral form. It's available in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French.

Anyone who has trouble applying can email patientservices@elliefund.org or call 781-449-0100. Staff speak Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole, among other languages.

Applications are reviewed in the month they come in. If approved, support starts the next month. Details arrive by letter or email in the first week of that month.

Where it came from

Brothers Jeff and Eliot Popkin started Ellie Fund in 1995, Patch reported. They named it for their mother, Eleanor "Ellie" Popkin. She died in 1987 at 49, after more than 15 years living with metastatic breast cancer.

In 2020, the group launched an effort to reach more patients in underserved parts of Greater Boston, Gateway Cities and rural areas. In 2022, it added more ways to get help, through community health centers, self-referrals and clinical trials.

A spotlight on access

On Oct. 8, Ellie Fund and the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators hosted their annual Breast Cancer Action Month panel at the State House. Speakers discussed the cost of care, timely access to treatment and how where patients live affects their outcomes.

Panelists included leaders from Ellie Fund, NeighborHealth Community Health Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Mount Wachusett Community College. Sen. Robyn Kennedy, who chairs the women's caucus in the Senate, also took part.

What to watch

Ellie Fund's website doesn't list dollar limits or how long support lasts. Patients should ask when they apply. Ellie Fund doesn't refer patients to specific therapists or practitioners.