A home for families facing a medical crisis

CRS Insurance Brokerage has a long-standing relationship with Brent’s Place, a nonprofit focused on providing independent living accommodations for families facing life-threatening medical crises. The agency has supported the nonprofit in various ways since 2014. “We believe they fill a crucial need in the community and we are proud to support their vision,” said agency principal Jeff Berven.

Long-term housing for families in need

As the only option for safe housing close to acclaimed Denver-area hospitals, Brent’s Place ensures access to a growing number of life-saving medical treatments and clinical trials for both pediatric and adult patients, including bone marrow transplantation, CAR-T therapy, oncology treatments and solid organ transplantation. When families must leave their hometowns in search of medical miracles, Brent’s Place is there to soften their landing. In 2022 alone, the nonprofit housed 344 families from 20 states, providing a home away from home and compassionate support to families in need.

In addition to providing long-term housing accommodations near world-class partner hospitals, the nonprofit also offers extensive support programming, from warm meals and art projects to music therapy and birthday celebrations. They are committed to enhancing the quality of life for families and helping them create joyful memories together, even in the face of each family’s difficult situation. While Brent’s Place initially focused on pediatric families, they expanded their work to serve adult families in 2019, after learning from their hospital partners that they could benefit from the same support.

“We believe they fill a crucial need in the community and we are proud to support their vision.”

—Jeff Berven, agency principal at CRS Insurance Brokerage

Offering happier holidays

On top of delivering meals and gift cards, one of the ways that CRS Insurance Brokerage likes to volunteer for Brent’s Place is by helping to provide happy holiday memories for the families whose traditions have been interrupted due to treatment.

On Valentine’s Day 2023, CRS Insurance Brokerage put together over 25 Valentine’s craft kits. Their goal was to provide a sense of normalcy for the families who could not gather in person to exchange cards like many kids do in school. Crafting the kits was a great team building experience for the agency. And upon delivering the kits, they were offered a full tour of the facility, which moved the agency’s employees as they witnessed the incredible impact that Brent’s Place has on their community.

During the winter holidays, CRS Insurance Brokerage annually sponsors a few families’ wish lists, allowing the agency to deliver gifts that meet the specific needs of the children and families served by Brent’s Place. Agency employees wrap and deliver the presents themselves, which lets them see their impact firsthand as they create a positive and uplifting experience for the families staying at Brent’s Place.

“Thanks to the generosity of donors, volunteers, supporters and the shared commitment of our hospital partners, the doors of hope and healing remain open for families, with no length-of-stay limits or additional financial burden.”

—Avi Petrucci, external affairs coordinator at Brent’s Place

Working together to offer support

Brent’s Place aims to increase equitable access to life-saving treatments, so families don’t have to deal with another enormous financial burden as they navigate the high costs of relocation and treatment. “Thanks to the generosity of donors, volunteers, supporters and the shared commitment of our hospital partners, the doors of hope and healing remain open for families, with no length-of-stay limits or any additional financial burden,” said Avi Petrucci, the external affairs coordinator for the nonprofit.

With financial support from CRS Insurance Brokerage and other organizations and individuals, Brent’s Place can provide a variety of programs to families to enhance their overall wellbeing. The nonprofit is currently striving toward increasing their capacity to offer more individualized support like family outings, ensuring that each family receives what they need, depending on their varied and changing sets of circumstances. Continued community support enables hope and healing for the families that depend on Brent’s Place during their most trying  times.

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