Woman's Creative Way to Help Cancer Patients: Clean Their Homes

(Photo via Cleaning for a Reason)

Debbie Sardone knows about cleaning. She has been in the cleaning industry for over 30 years and is the owner of Buckets & Bows Maid Service in Lewisville, Texas.  In 2006 she decided to start the Cleaning for a Reason, a nationwide nonprofit organization that provides housecleaning services free of charge to women battling cancer. It started when a prospective client inquired about a cleaning, but couldn’t handle the cost, given the expenses associated with her illness. “I won’t be able to afford that now; I’m undergoing cancer treatment,” the woman told her.

That was a life-changing “aha” moment not only for Sardone, but also for the lives of the thousands of the women who’ve been helped by Cleaning for a Reason. Undergoing chemotherapy and cancer treatment can be incredibly difficult and draining.

In addition to the physical work of keeping a home tidy, patients also have to deal with cleaners and chemicals. Cleaning For a Reason solves that problem and provides a much-needed morale boost all in one.

Since that first client in 2006, the organization has provided 20,000 free cleanings nationwide.

Joyce Hernandez, a client in Johnston, Colorado, vividly remembers greeting her cleaner at the door. ”I just about cried,” she told ABC 7 in Denver.

Photo via The Maid Coach 

Sardone saw the value of her service directly when her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. If her mom had not been able to afford the cost of a house cleaner, it would have been impossible to summon the energy to do it herself.

Photo via Renee Angela 

So far, Cleaning for a Reason has partnered with over 1,100 maid services and donated $4.5 million in cleanings. Sardone teamed up with Swiffer and Walmart to help raise awareness of the nonprofit service.

Photo via Bucket and Bows 

Want to know more? www.CleaningForAReason.org