Community - Mendiburu Magic Foundation

The foundation has established separate and distinct monetary assistance funds at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital (CHW facilities), Los Angeles Children's Hospital, UCLA Medical Center and Central California Children's Hospital specifically for Kern County children and families. This fund has been made possible by the generosity and community support of The Mendiburu Magic Foundation (MMF), based in Bakersfield, California. The organization was founded in loving memory of Nancy Ann Mendiburu. MMF will (1) help children and families affected by any catastrophic or life threatening illness; and directly contribute to worthy community need, (2) with an emphasis on positive youth development and (3) ongoing medical research for cancer. MMF will strive to accomplish these worthy tasks while appreciating the purpose of human life as being to serve, and show compassion and the will to help others.

The non-profit foundation creates separate Mendiburu Magic Funds at various medical organizations/hospitals within our given service area; and these monies in this account can be used towards any service request related to our MMF mission and/or stated guidelines. The Mendiburu Magic Fund is only to be used for children (and families effected) ages 0-17 and residents of Kern County and approved/screened by social services staff employed by the partner agency. Criteria for usage of the fund are as follows:

With decreasing public support, increasing financial burdens due to these medical conditions, and the challenge of balancing all of these factors, our families are frequently stressed and overwhelmed. Our public-benefit organization tries to assist families by relieving these stressors and contributing towards healthy community strategy. We can help with small items (things that are immediate and may possibly fall thru the cracks during necessary treatment) like home utility bills, gasoline for treatments, medication, incidentals, lodging, etc.. During times of catastrophic or life threatening illness for children ages 0-17, MMF provides those families assistance in creating "Everlasting Memories" and improving "Quality of Life."

Mendiburu Magic Foundation funds are generated through annual special events, corporate and individual contributions and are allocated regionally, at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Annual contributions reflect the success of our fund raising efforts for that fiscal year.

The following persons have access to Mendiburu Magic Funds at their hospital/medical organization and you can contact the following person directly with requests for funding, if your son/daughter is a current patient at any of the area hospitals listed below and resident of Kern County:

The Mendiburu Magic Foundation affirms the importance of scientific research and investigations of new approaches to cancer and any sort of life threatening illness detection, treatment, and prevention. Our foundation will strive to make annual contributions to credible research organizations (some are listed below):

More than ever before, biomedical science is dependent on the use of advanced technologies to maximize scientific discovery and the delivery of cancer interventions. Working together across communities of scientists and technology experts is a new paradigm for cancer research and development. It increasingly requires new kinds of collaborations and a melding of cultures to achieve an environment friendly to the development, validation, and practical application of promising technologies in cancer discovery, development, and delivery of care.

NCI engages in a number of ongoing planning and priority setting activities to ensure that we are responsive to new discoveries and opportunities and maximize use of our resources. NCI staff work with researchers and other representatives from the scientific, medical, and advocacy communities to determine what is needed and how best to move the science forward. We keep our research portfolio balanced and our support structure strong through ongoing program assessment and response to recommendations arising from those assessments. We convene scientists from diverse settings to work with NCI staff in developing new initiatives and redesigning programs. We track implementation and report regularly on our progress.

As the nation's largest private, not-for-profit source of funds for scientists studying cancer, the American Cancer Society (ACS) focuses its funding on investigator-initiated, peer-reviewed proposals. This process ensures that scientists propose projects that they believe are ready to be tackled with the available knowledge and techniques, rather than working on projects designed by administrators who are far removed from the front lines of research. This intellectual freedom encourages discovery in areas that scientists believe are most likely to solve the problems of cancer.

St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility anywhere. Discoveries made here have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

We are where some of today's most gifted researchers are able to do more science, more quickly. Where doctors across the world send their toughest cases and most vulnerable patients. Where no one pays for treatment beyond what is covered by insurance, and those without insurance are never asked to pay. We've built America's 3rd-largest health-care charity, with a model that keeps the costs down and the funds flowing, so the science never stops.

In the time it takes you to read this short page of information, another five people were diagnosed with cancer and two more people will have died from cancer. Cancer kills about one American every minute of every day, or about 1,500 people every 24 hours.

• About 1.4 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2006. More than 20 million new cancer cases have been diagnosed since 1990.

• One of every two men and one out of three women will get cancer in their lifetimes.

• Three out of every four American families will have at least one family member diagnosed with cancer.

• About 565,000 Americans are expected to die of cancer in 2006. In the U.S., cancer is the second leading cause of death, responsible for 1 in 4 deaths.

• According to the National Institutes of Health, overall costs for cancer in 2005 were nearly $210 billion, including medical costs, the cost of lost productivity due to illness and the cost of lost productivity due to premature death.

• Approximately 77 percent of all cancers are diagnosed in people aged 55 and older.

• An estimated 9,500 new cases of cancer are anticipated among children aged 14 and younger in 2006. Other than accidents, cancer is the leading cause of death among children.

The Good News

Cancer researchers have a clear understanding of how cancer evolves, from the initial disruption of genetic material, and the signals that drive and nourish this growth and cause it to spread. We are at a crossroads in the history of cancer research and we are poised to make exponential gains, to even reduce it to a chronic disease, like diabetes. Early indicators include:

• For the first time in more than 70 years, annual cancer deaths in the United States have fallen. The number of cancer deaths in the U.S. fell between 2002 and 2003, the first annual decrease in total cancer deaths since the 1930s, when nationwide data began to be compiled.

• As of January 2002, it is estimated that there are 10.1 million cancer survivors in the U.S. Approximately 14 percent of the 10.1 million estimated survivors were diagnosed more than 20 years ago.

• People can reduce their risk of getting cancer through diet, exercise, weight loss and the practice of other healthy lifestyle factors.

• Today, 64 percent of adults diagnosed with cancer will be alive in five years. Among children, nearly 75 percent of childhood cancer survivors will be alive after 10 years.

Persons and organizations specializing in serving the educational, health/social needs of our mentioned beneficiaries are eligible for funding. Please include:

Itemized Program Budget
501(c)(3) Verification
Name of the organization, address, telephone, e-mail address, facsimile, listing of directors, contact person for this program
Brief explanation of specific funding needs and a history of services provided (not to exceed 500 words)

Requests will receive a preliminary staff review to determine if the request falls within our guidelines and/or scope of funding. Organizations will be notified if they qualify for funding within 90 business days.

Funding will not be considered for items of investment not related to at least one of the following:

In addition, tickets, advertising or sponsorship for other fundraising events are not eligible to receive funds. The MMF Governing Board of Directors reserves all rights regarding funding allocation.