Ways That People Affected by Cancer Can Earn Money

Here, a survivor lists some alternative ways that patients with cancer or survivors in need of flexible employment can earn extra money

Ryan Hamner is a four-time survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma, a musician, and an award-winning author. In 2011, he wrote and recorded, “Where Hope Lives” for the American Cancer Society and the song for survivors, “Survivors Survive” used in 2015 for #WorldCancerDay. Recently, he published his book, This is Remission: A Four-Time Cancer Survivor’s Memories of Treatment, Struggle, and Life, available on Amazon. His website is www.ryanhamner.com

As a cancer patient or a cancer survivor, many know, and studies show, that employment can often be an issue. Sometimes you simply can’t find work, and other times you can’t work on a schedule that fits your needs.

The need for one person might mean time to go to the doctor for follow-up appointments. And, the need for another person might mean time to rest between treatments.

However, there are some viable options to help people who have been affected by cancer earn money. Below, I’ll talk about a few of them.

Work-at-Home

This is the dream for many: working from home. And it’s totally doable.

• Text Broker: If you write, there are services like Textbroker that will help you find writing gigs in different categories. You might not start off making much, but you can quickly move your way up to a decent rate, assuming you produce quality work.
• Flex Jobs: And, if you want to step it up a notch, try something like Flex Jobs. They offer work-at-home opportunities for many different lines of work. Here you can find jobs in technology, photography, entertainment, sales, research – almost every area of work you can imagine. A large portion of the jobs are remote, and you can find part-time and full-time jobs here.
• Fiverr: Then, there is Fiverr. It has been around a while. On Fiverr, you can earn money doing anything. Heck, in 2011, as a joke, I was making $5 a phone call to prank people’s friends and ask where I was supposed to deliver their new pet goats.

Selling Online

Selling online is another way of making money – and there are plenty of places to sell.

One easy score when it comes to getting rid of unwanted items is Facebook Marketplace. It’s effortless to use and can help get things sold very fast. I’ve sold shoes, guitars, and dog crates on Facebook Marketplace.

There is always selling on eBay and Amazon. To me, selling on Amazon can be a bit complicated. But, eBay is a pretty easy gig. I started selling on eBay shortly after my transplant in 2000. By 2003, I was selling tons of items, and by 2005, I was an eBay PowerSeller, shipping more than I could carry to the post office. In my opinion, eBay is a little different today than what it was back in 2005. However, it’s still something to check out and consider when it comes to earning some money.

There are also apps, like Mercari and Letgo, that allow users to sell items from their smartphones. These apps will enable you to sell both new and used items. I prefer Mercari, and its user experience, personally, mainly because Letgo requires you to meet people in person.

Food Delivery Services

Some jobs in food delivery require you to keep a schedule, where you have to show up to work at a certain time, and well, work. But, with services like Uber Eats, Grubhub, Instacart, and Shipt, setting your own schedule can come in handy. Note, some of these services have waiting lists currently for new drivers. But, I’ve personally worked with Uber Eats. But fiar warning: delivering food can make you really hungry.

Rideshare

Similar to the above, rideshare services like Uber and Lyft can be a great way to make some extra money. I’ve used Uber and Lyft to supplement my income. Rideshare can also be a fun way to meet people and get out for a bit. I will say, though, this is probably not the best option for anyone who is actively in treatment for cancer or has a compromised immune system. The last thing someone on chemo needs is to be exposed to a person who is sick and sneezing in your car.

So, if you are frustrated with finding work, making ends meet, or job flexibility, consider some or a couple of the options I’ve mentioned. It could be the difference in getting that electric bill paid or having extra money to buy a gig on Fiverr and have someone prank call your friend about pet goats.

Source: Cure By: Ryan Hamner

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