Daily Inspiration: Meet The Stephanie Vest Foundation

Today we’d like to introduce you to The Stephanie Vest Foundation.

Hello, The Stephanie Vest Foundation. We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today. Can you start by introducing yourself?
Stephanie Krider Vest was only 34 when she lost her courageous battle with cancer. After struggling for months with a lingering, undiagnosed illness, it was determined that she was suffering from a rare form of cancer called Gamma Delta Lymphoma. She received this diagnosis in August of 2008, a few weeks after giving birth to her third child. A foundation was created in her name to support other families dealing with similar cancer issues. The Stephanie Vest Foundation is a non-profit organization that offers financial support to families dealing with a cancer crisis.

Would it have been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Our core value is to support the Kansas City community while respecting the generous donations we receive from fundraisers. We are mindful of every cent in our budget, and we work very hard to be good stewards of the generous donations that we receive. Our Foundation is a gold-star-rated registered non-profit, ensuring that our money goes directly to its intended purpose. Additionally, we are powered by a volunteer board. No one takes a salary. We strive to keep a very low overhead so that our fundraising dollars go directly to needy people. This can pose challenges because everyone working with our group has full-time day jobs. Over the past 15 years, our board has worked hard to juggle many responsibilities to keep our program going. It’s a labor of love.

Thanks for sharing that. You could tell us more about your work.
The Stephanie Vest Foundation provides grants to families in a financial and cancer crisis due to an inability to work during treatment and recovery. The foundation pays for things often overlooked by insurance companies, such as childcare, housecleaning, travel, mortgage, utility payments, etc. With 100% of proceeds benefitting local families, The Stephanie Vest Foundation is powered by an all-volunteer board, who dedicate countless hours to helping local families. In the past 10 years, the foundation has helped over 230 area families and provided over $580,000 in assistance to help with the financial burdens of a cancer diagnosis. The foundation reviews applications for families located all around the Kansas City area. The impact of the fundraising efforts and various grants will be felt throughout the Kansas City community.

What were you like growing up?
Our board members are friends and relatives of Stephanie – a core group of 5 families. Many of us went to college together at Missouri State, so we have a deep connection that goes back decades. At the time of her illness, we were all neighbors living in the same subdivision. Over time, several board members have moved out of the original neighborhood (both across town and the country). However, the actual core group is still very much involved daily. It is a testament to the power of love and friendship. We were humbled to participate in the community outreach when Stephanie was sick. It is now our honor to pay it forward to others in need.

Contact Info:

• Website: Stephanievest.com
• Instagram: @stephanie_vest_foundation
• Facebook: @SVFoundation
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCabyO6g3n8jhVrezWyoaKlQ