Home Sweet Home Cleaning & Gardening helps cancer patients find comfort in a clean home.
By Lauryn Scarafile
When someone receives a cancer diagnosis, everyday responsibilities don’t stop. Bathrooms still need cleaning, floors need attention, and household chores can quickly become overwhelming alongside appointments, treatment and recovery.
Home Sweet Home Cleaning & Gardening helps ease that burden through its partnership with Cleaning for a Reason, donating professional house cleaning services to cancer patients and their families.
For owner Heather Loveland Button, the
reason for getting involved was personal.
“My mom is a breast cancer survivor, and she inspired us to offer this service,” says Button. “Our partnership with Cleaning for a Reason is dedicated to her.”
Her mother, Sherri Loveland, helped inspire a commitment to making life a little easier for other families facing cancer. Through the partnership, Button and her team use the skills and resources they already have to offer practical support.
“We can’t take away what someone is going through, but we can take cleaning off their shoulders and give them one less thing to worry about,” she says.
Once matched, patients receive two free general houses cleaning, one per month for two months. Home Sweet Home donates its time and professional services at no cost to the patient. The visits cover general house cleaning rather than deep cleaning.
The company’s service area includes Oneida, Madison and Onondaga counties.
“Home should be a place where you can rest, says Button. “If we can help someone spend less energy on housework and more time resting or being with their family, that is meaningful work.”
A Personal Connection
In 2022, Home Sweet Home was recognized as a Top 100 Cleaning Partner for most patients served.
For Button, the recognition represented both the team’s work and the family experience that inspired it. She asked to have it displayed in the office alongside a photograph of herself and her mother.
The company has also supported Cleaning for a Reason through its Hops for Hope fundraiser, bringing local businesses, vendors, donors and community members together to contribute to the cause.
For Button, the value of the program comes back to offering useful help at a difficult time. Friends and neighbors often want to support someone facing cancer but aren’t sure where to begin. Helping someone learn about the service is one way to make a difference.
“I hope this story helps someone realize they can ask for support,” she says. “You don’t have to carry everyday responsibility on your own while going through treatment.”
How to Find Support
Patients can apply at cleaningforareason.org or a caregiver can apply on their behalf with permission.
For more information a link to the program is also available at cnyhomesweethome.com.
Spread the word. Family members, friends and healthcare professionals can help by sharing the program or assisting with an application. Button hopes this story reaches someone who didn’t know that help was available, whether for themselves, a parent, a neighbor or a friend.
