Courtesy of Cleaning for a Reason
Cleaning for a Reason staff, and some of the patients they have helped.
The potential client had called Sardone's cleaning company seeking an estimate, which she couldn't afford because chemotherapy and radiation sessions left her unable to work.
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"She said, 'Maybe I'll call you when I can afford it,' and hung up. And that was before Caller ID. I had no way to call her back," Sardone told TODAY.com. "I made a decision and shared with my staff that day that the next time a woman battling cancer called our office needing help with her home, if she couldn't afford it, we would just give it to her completely for free."
Years later, Sardone shared the story while speaking at a national convention of cleaning professionals, many of whom expressed interest in adopting a similar policy.
"They were big companies, little companies, mom and pops who do the work themselves, and even big franchises," said Sardone, 56. "Many of them came up to me after my workshop and said, 'I want to do that in my town.'"
Courtesy of Cleaning for a Reason
Debbie Sardone, Cleaning for a Reason founder
That prompted Sardone to create Cleaning for A Reason, a nonprofit organization celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The group has helped more than 19,000 cancer patients so far.
Cleaning for a Reason gets about 1,400 requests for service each month. It works with companies throughout the nation and Canada willing to provide cancer patients with one free cleaning a month for four months. While the businesses — which must be insured and conduct background checks on its workers — do not charge the women for their services, their employees are paid for their work.
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Stacey Steele said Cleaning for a Reason "truly changed my life" nearly two years ago right after undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer. At the time, her health and the welfare of her children were her top priorities — not vacuuming rugs and dusting furniture.
"My focus was on trying to keep things routine and normal for the kids and getting my health back. I wasn't thinking about cleaning the bathroom," she said.
"Knowing your house is being taken care of when you don't have the energy to get out of bed helps lift a huge stress from you," she said. "At the time, I was so weak that showering would literally be my main activity for the day. And when you're not feeling good, the last thing you want to do is go into a dirty bathroom."
Courtesy of Cleaning for a Reason
Staff of Debbie Sardone's private cleaning company, a Cleaning for a Reason partner that helps women with cancer.
R.J. Patel has helped more than 240 cancer patients since his company, PCT Clean, partnered with Cleaning for a Reason in 2006. He said he jumped at the chance to help women during this "extremely vulnerable time."
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"Women take a lot of pride in their home, and when the home is not where they want it to be, their psychology is hurt, and when they're hurt mentally, their healing takes longer," he said.
"It's just a pleasure to serve these people. When we get the call to go out and literally take care of them, I know that we're doing God's work in their homes."