Point Beach Restaurant Donates $1,500 to Cancer Concern Center

The Coal House, a restaurant in Point Beach, has donated $1,500 to the Cancer Concern Center.

During the past two months, , 710 Arnold Ave., ran a “Coal House Cares” fundraiser for the Cancer Concern Center, which is run solely by volunteers with an office on Route 35 in Point Beach.

"Anthony Abdy, Billy Hoffman, Paul Ippolito, and Robert Romano of The Coal House were extremely supportive of the fundraiser," according to a prepared statement from the Cancer Concern Center.

"They wanted to support a local charity that truly needed help, as opposed to a national organization not tied directly to the local community," the statement says. "Each representative of The Coal House also has a personal connection to cancer through family and friends."

“We’re proud to help the Cancer Concern Center,” Ippolito notes, “especially because our Point Pleasant neighbors have been so supportive of The Coal House. We're thankful to local residents for their patronage over the past year. At The Coal House, it’s important for us to give back to a local charity.”

Hoffman serves on the Board of Directors for the Cancer Concern Center and has been an ardent supporter of the organization for years.

"As a team,” Hoffman explains, “when we thought about a local charity, the Cancer Concern Center came to mind right away.

"We knew it was the perfect fit for The Coal House," Hoffman said. "The Cancer Concern Center exists on small donations. Everyone at the Cancer Concern Center lives in the area; they're our neighbors."

The Cancer Concern Center focuses exclusively on women and men with cancer who live in the greater Point Pleasant area.

With a core group of volunteers, the Cancer Concern Center offers weekly support groups, meditation and yoga classes, massage and Reiki therapy, nutritional workshops, and new wigs to local residents regardless of their ability to pay.

Far from an affluent organization, the Cancer Concern Center has minimal overhead, funneling donations into client programs instead of administration.

Ever since its founding in 1998, the Cancer Concern Center has been an independent non-profit run by breast cancer survivors: Lori Jeffries of Brick and Jill McDonough of Lavallette.

They envisioned a warm and welcoming setting that didn’t feel like a hospital – a convenient place for women and men with cancer to discuss their condition, access resources, receive non-judgmental support, and rejuvenate their spirit.

“The Coal House is an amazing local business,” said Lisa Montalbano of Point Pleasant Beach, the volunteer office manager for the Cancer Concern Center. “We’re incredibly grateful to The Coal House for the $1,500 donation, which puts the Cancer Concern Center in a strong position for 2012.”

The Coal House is open Tuesday through Sunday. For a menu or additional details, please visit the Coal House website or call 732-899-4400.

For more information on the Cancer Concern Center, 1101 Richmond Avenue in Point Pleasant Beach, please call 732-701-0250 or like the Cancer Concern Center on Facebook.

The mission of the Cancer Concern Center is to provide emotional support and wellness programs to women and men affected by cancer.

The Cancer Concern Center was the first non-profit to offer support services to adults with cancer in Northern Ocean County.

It is a member of the Ocean Medical Center’s Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. All contributions to the Cancer Concern Center are tax-deductible and utilized for local cancer support programs.