My story with APRON begins in 2013 when I was diagnosed with a super rare form of cancer called DFSP. I had insurance at the time (luckily) but I was looking at a surgery, radiation, and of course recovery time.

Dawn Bianconcini told me that she was on the board of a new organization and that they might be able to help me with a grant. I applied, and a couple of weeks later Dawn and I are at Darkstar singing ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ while she’s giving me checks to pay my bills for an entire month. Having that help was crucial to healing.

Whenever you’re going through something that terrifying, any little thing that takes the stress off of some aspect of your life is incredible.

In 2018, I was diagnosed with Stage 3b Triple Negative Breast Cancer and it has gone metastatic since then. APRON has given me grants both times and I cannot express how incredibly grateful I was. It feels like a great protector to the local service industry that is there whenever you need them.

I try and pay it forward by volunteering when possible, telling employees at local bars and restaurants about the organization itself, and even doing fundraisers for APRON. I’m in constant awe of the people who run APRON and that they’ve helped me personally so many times. In this season of giving, please give to this incredible organization that gives peace of mind to the people serving you.