We are delighted to support Artbreakers and their quest to help uninsured and under served cancer patients in our community! In addition to financial support, I was able to help this organization as a volunteer, I was so humbled and blessed to drive a local cancer patient to visit her dying sister in nearby Jacksonville. This afternoon was so meaningful to both ladies and may not have happened without the help of Artbreakers. I was astounded to hear that more than 90% of funds raised got to help patients. The volunteerism keeps the administrative costs low and value to the patient high! Keep up the great work
Pier Fitts is also associated with a couple of other companies she has started. Healing Environment Lifestyle Project, Inc., Patient Navigation Services of St. Augustine, LLC. Pier initially agreed to help with filing for Social Security Disability, Food Stamps, and Medicare filings for nothing. However, as time went by she started charging a ridiculous amount of $500.00 per month for filing paper work I could have done myself for nothing. When asked for a detailed bill of services, she said she does not have the time to provide one and will not. There is something wrong here. Every professional have I ever dealt with will do this. She repeatedly missed appointments and rescheduled meetings. Always trying to seem concerned about me but offering excuses about her hectic life why she could not make appointments or get something done. She made statements and promises she never delivered on and has never produced any results. She has been fired but still claims she is owed money and makes threats to collect by property liens. Owed money for what? She can't prove she has done anything to help but did manage to make my situation worse. I would not recommend using her services from any of her companies. It is also kind of strange she would have a few different companies offering patient services. Why not build one good one and stick with it.
This charity was referred to my husband and myself through Flagler Hospital on August 7th 2014. I contacted Pier (the CEO) via the phone number that was provided to me on August 8th. She was warm, caring and seemed genuinely concerned about our needs. My husband has Stage 3B Lung Cancer and is currently going through treatment. During the initial call I expressed our need for "transportation" funds, due to our 90 miles per day that we need to travel. I was assured that this would not be a problem and was then asked about "other" bills such as medications, co-pays, food and even utility bills. I expressed that help with the phone and electric bill along with some gas cards would be a Blessing. She agreed to meet with us Monday, August 11th at the hospital around 3 pm. I asked if she needed ID, a bank statement, SS numbers or other paperwork and was told "no that is was not necessary". On Monday, she never showed. I called her when we returned home to hear that she had family issues with her children, apologized and agreed to meet us the next day, in between her hectic schedule with her children. I told her to handle her family agenda and that we could meet on Wednesday, August 13th if that would be easier for her. She thanked me for understanding and agreed on the 13th, at 3:00 pm at the hospital. Again, she was a no show. I returned home to find a missed call from her around 4:00, but no message. I was upset at that point and did not return the call. On Thursday, August 14th as my husband and I arrived at FROG for his radiation treatment, we were told by the office assistants that Pier was trying to contact us. I called her when I returned home around 5 pm and left a detailed messaged on her voice mail. She returned the call about 20 minutes later saying that she had been "texting" me. Our contact phone number is a land line. Her phone would have told her that. Anyways, she again apologized, continue to explain her hectic life and we agreed to meet earlier in the day, around noon on Monday, August 18th. That was my husband's chemo day and we were going to be at the hospital all day from 9:00 am till around 4:00 pm. I made sure she had our cell number as well. The last comment she made was "We'll meet in the cafeteria and we will take a snack to your husband while he is receiving his chemo." She never showed, nor did she call. The next day, the girls in the office of FROG asked if we she met with us. I told them the story and that I was not happy and that dealing with my husband's illness, I could not entertain anymore drama. That's when they stepped in. Wednesday, August 20th around 9:00 a gal from that office contacted Pier and received the exact same type of explanation (excuses) that I had been receiving. She promised to call me a sap and drop of some "gas cards" that day to FROG for us. No phone call, no gas cards. Finally, on Friday August 22nd around 12:30 I received a phone call from Pier. She explained once again how busy she was, and that the 3:00 hour was not good for her. When I asked WHY she missed the earlier appointment that previous Monday, she said she forgot. In order to make things right, she was going to immediately remove some "cash" from her ATM and drop it off to FROG in an envelope for us. I thanked her, explaining our desperate situation with gas funds, She said, "No problem, you deserve it. I would really like to meet you and if you are ever in town earlier in the day, maybe we could meet." I told her that on September 4th, I had a cardiologist appointment and we could arrange something. She hung up saying she was on her way to FROG. When my husband and I arrived for his appointment at FROG at 3:00, once again, no envelope, no message, no Pier. Another one of the gals from the office took it upon herself to call Pier. Same excuses, except now, she was experiencing car problems. She took it one step further saying that she was suppose to meet with us the day of my cardiologist appointment. When I told the girl what was really said, and my appointment was in September, she was upset as well. Within 15 minutes, Pier called the FROG office saying that an envelope was being left at a pharmacy for us with cash in it, ask for the pharmacist. Two weeks after my initial phone call, we picked up a white envelope from a pharmacy that we had never been to before, with $100.00 cash in it. My first name was written on the envelope, no receipt, no note, just her business card. It is now September 2nd and I have yet to receive a phone call from Pier. I posted a Thank You on the Artbreakers Facebook page.
I am grateful for the help. I was able to get my husband back and forth to his appointments with one additional trip to the ER. (I still had to borrow money from a neighbor for my electric bill,) I am not happy with unprofessional way this charity is operating. I am sure that if I were a donor, and had a check to give to Pier, the appointment would not be missed, no matter what time it was. How does a charity operate with no paper trail? I don't believe that people should be treated the way that my husband and myself were treated. It's difficult to have to face cancer, and it's extremely hard to have to humble yourself and ask for help. The hospital has been notified about our dealings with this charity and Pier, as well as Cancer Specialists and of coarse FROG. We were told that there are other complaints out there that sound similar to our experience. God Bless
Review from Guidestar
I've been amazed and pleasantly surprised to see this small local charity help cancer patients in such an efficient manner. After reviewing their 990 Forms it shows that nearly 90% of every dollar actually goes to help patients. The Board of Directors are volunteers and the operation relies on the work of volunteers and a patient navigator to help those in need. What is most refreshing is that Artbreakers helps patients with any type of cancer. The mantra is "cancer does not discriminate so neither does Artbreakers". The group seems to be filling a void since most cancer charities seem to be focused on Breast or Lung cancer