Some stories start with a scholarship. Some start with a medical diagnosis. And sometimes, they become the same story.
This quarter, our grantee Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation focused on one powerful word: opportunity.
With support from the Live Well Foundation of South Lake, GCCF awarded just over $50,000 in student scholarships to local high school seniors and students attending Lake-Sumter State College. This year marked their first partnership with LSSC’s scholarship program — expanding reach while keeping their criteria intact. Nearly one-third of scholarships awarded came through this new collaboration, opening doors for even more deserving students.
And then something remarkable happened.
One LSSC scholarship recipient connected GCCF to a family facing an unthinkable season — a father battling cancer, two students trying to continue college, and a household on the brink of homelessness.
Because of this grant support, two students received scholarships. The family also qualified for a patient assistance grant. Together, that support meant stability. It meant the students could stay enrolled. It meant the family could remain in a safe home while navigating treatment and recovery.
Every able member of the household is working to contribute. They are fighting for their future. And this community stepped in to fight with them.
This is what layered impact looks like.
Education support.
Patient assistance.
Family stability.
GCCF has seen an increase this year in families navigating both medical crisis and housing instability. They are actively working to strengthen partnerships — including a developing collaboration with New Beginnings — to ensure families do not fall through the cracks.
We are incredibly proud to support Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation and the compassionate, strategic way they serve our community.
When we invest in health and education together, we protect entire families.
That is impact.