Survivorship Education or Support

> 2007 Participants
> 2006 Participants
> 2005 Participants
> 2004 Participants
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2007 Participants

Nurse Oncology Education Program
$15,000 for one year
“Texas Schools of Nursing Survivorship Curriculum”
This LAF funded project will combine educational curriculum for Texas nursing students with cancer survivorship information. This program expands on the existing health care professional training through a large network of professional and vocational schools of nursing for over 23,000 nursing students. The curriculum will be created by a nursing expert and consist of modifiable PowerPoint slides, learning activities, and review questions. An initial survey of the educational environment will be completed and survey results will guide the curriculum development process. The curriculum will be pilot tested and then all Texas nursing schools will have access by the end of the grant period. This project will not only educate nurses on survivorship issues but also provide Texas nursing students with the necessary foundation to effectively manage patients who are cancer survivors.

OSU - Center for Health Sciences
$150,000 for three years
“Cancer Survivor Education in Rural Oklahoma”
The first LAF funded Oklahoma project will provide cancer survivorship education to rural survivors across the state. The overall goal of this project is to enhance the rural cancer survivor’s health status and emotional well-being by increasing their knowledge of how to participate in their own health care. The Oklahoma Area Health Education Center (OKAHEC) will target 24 rural communities in OK and will also conduct 13 continuing education/in-service workshops for health professionals. It is estimated that 480 survivors and 365 health care professionals will be directly trained by this program.

The University of Iowa
$44,295 for two years
“Cancer Survivorship: Ask the Experts”
To address transportation and barriers to services for rural cancer survivors across the state of Iowa, the Cancer Survivorship: Ask the Experts program will utilize the Iowa Communications Network (ICN)-a statewide fiber-optic video conferencing network. This program will present structured programs to empower survivors by providing tools necessary to navigate all aspects of their personal health. A pilot program consisting of 3 educational programs broadcast to 10-15 southeast Iowa communities will include information on finding and comprehending quality health information; eating and living healthfully; and treatment side and late effects. The last program will also be offered in Spanish due to the large number of Latinos in southeast Iowa. The ultimate goal for this program are to develop and execute an pilot educational program which will then be expanded in topics covered and locations offered; to develop strong relationships with healthcare providers across Iowa to increase their awareness of the Cancer Information Network at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center; and to increase cancer survivors’ abilities to take control of their healthcare management and empower them with the tools necessary to navigate all aspects of their personal health.

SuperSibs!
$150,000 for three years
“Sibling STAR Program and Early Intervention Assessment”
The Support, Training, Awareness and Recognition (STAR) program through SuperSibs! is committed to ensuring effective, equal access to sibling community-based program support through targeted early intervention support at hospitals all across the U.S. LAF funding will help empower, educate and enable key oncology partners to help solve the problem of siblings of children with cancer not receiving adequate support. In this three year program funded by LAF, key professionals at oncology hospitals and cancer-related organizations will be the means by which this program will support and positively impact 22,500 young and teen siblings and their families in English and/or Spanish. Monies will fund translation and production of bi-lingual program materials and full implementation and customization coaching for 150 pediatric oncology hospitals and 15 national cancer organizations where sibling support resources are limited or non-existent.

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2006 Participants

Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
$99,414 grant over two years
“Families Together:  The Connecticut Naïve American Intergenerational Cancer Survivorship Project”
Since 1984 the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) Tribal Health Services has operated the only health clinic for Native Americans in Connecticut that provides primary medical and outreach services that include traditional and culturally appropriate services.  The LAF provided funding to provide culturally-relevant cancer survivorship education materials to the tribal population and to foster connections between Native cancer survivors and the broader community through the “Families Together” project, an intergenerational initiative. A long-term objective of this project is to expand this model program to embrace the needs of Native Americans throughout the Northeast.

Evanston Northwestern Healthcare
$50,000 grant over two years
“Living in the Future (LIFE) Cancer Survivorship Program”
www.enh.org/life
The Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Foundation has created a distinct program for cancer survivors called the “Living in the Future“(LIFE) program which creates a straight path from post-treatment back to the community, family and primary care setting through the provision of a customized survivorship care plan for ongoing health monitoring, recommendations and primary care physician conversation.  The LIFE program will create an electronic “Survivorship Care Plan” template, a “Survivorship 101” seminar and resource series and a website with updates, access, regional programming updates and health information.

Wyckoff Heights Medical Center
$9,911 grant over one year
The Wyckoff Heights Medical Center (WHMC) provides high quality, primary care to the inner city, culturally diverse population in North Brooklyn, New York. The Viviendo con Fuerza: WHMC Cancer Survivorship Program received a LAF planning grant to prepare a strong, needs-based foundation for a cancer survivorship education project through a survey about cancer survivor needs in the medically underserved community. Results from this survey will be used to prepare a needs assessment for healthcare providers, as well as a short training curriculum for providers as speakers in their community.

The LifeLab
$25,000 grant over one year
The LifeLab is offering a 15-week writing workshop for post-treatment young adults, the printing of a journal of works completed through the workshop and distributed to young adult survivors and oncology professionals in the community. In addition, an ongoing writing group will commence after completion of the beginner’s workshop, at which participants will continue the work on their personal narratives, receive professional writing instruction and complete works in progress toward publication.

St. Mary’s Health Care
$10,000 grant over one year
Cancer Survivorship Education: Connecting Community Forces
www.smcancercenter.com
www.smmmc.org
While Michigan has a well-established infrastructure for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, there is a documented need to create unique survivorship programs and services.  This LAF grant will develop a formal partnership with the other two Trinity Health hospitals in west Michigan, then conduct a literature review and needs assessment of survivors, families, providers and communities and design a comprehensive plan based on the needs assessment. The outcome of this proposal is the development of a multifaceted survivorship education series that joins survivors, families, communities and providers to enhance the quality of life of survivors and their loved ones.

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2005 Participants

Young Adult Journey: Empowerment through Knowledge and Support
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
www.chw.org
As a leading center for pediatric health care in the U.S. and the only hospital in Wisconsin solely dedicated to the health care needs of infants, children and adolescents, the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW) provides an integrated health services network focused on the health care needs of infants, children and adolescents. Young Adult Journey: Empowerment through Knowledge and Support is a program designed to increase the understanding of survivorship issues and awareness of complementary community programs and resources. The program includes a quarterly speaker series and one-day health conference for adolescent and young adult survivors, their families and caregivers, and health care providers. It also offers an organized forum to discuss survivorship topics, such as family planning, late effects, holistic and alternative therapies, emotional wellness, adjustment to life after treatment, transition to adult care and treatment advances. Through the Young Adult Journey program, CHW empowers participants to seek out necessary long-term follow-up healthcare and psychosocial support to improve their quality of life.

Brander Nutritional Oncology Counseling Program's Novel Partnership with the Center for Healthy Aging (CHA)
John Wayne Cancer Institute - Santa Monica, California
www.jwci.org
The John Wayne Cancer Institute's (JWCI) mission is to conduct interdisciplinary, basic clinical and translational research and apply the knowledge gained to advance cancer treatment. Through the Brander Nutritional Oncology Counseling Program's partnership with the Center for Healthy Aging (CHA), JWCI will work with medically underserved cancer survivors to help them develop and maintain a healthy diet in an effort to reduce the side effects of treatment and live healthier lives. The program will provide an interactive nutritional lecture series that will offer cancer survivors and their families advice on the importance of nutrition in cancer survival and prevention as well as ways to reduce side effects of cancer-fighting medications. The program will also teach cancer survivors how to be proactive about their treatment and care. 

The New Norm
Northwest Cancer Specialists Foundation (Cancer Care Resources) - Portland, Oregon
www.cancercareresources.org
Cancer Care Resources (CCR) helps people affected by cancer maximize their quality of life.  The New Norm project will provide skill-building classes for cancer survivors in the Portland area to help them talk about their diagnosis with cancer and transition into extended survivorship. The project will help survivors develop self-advocacy skills, prepare for physical and cognitive changes in recovery and embrace the importance of a wellness-focused personal care plan. It will also help them become aware of the potential long-term effects of treatment, manage the anxiety of follow-up tests and possible recurrences, and understand and deal with economic, insurance and workplace issues. Funding from the LAF will further the creation of a statewide multi-cultural database of cancer care resources, a public awareness education program, and policy-oriented forums to educate decision makers on public policies and economic barriers.  

Reducing Barriers to Cancer Care for Underserved, Chinese-speaking Cancer Patients in New York City
New York University School of Medicine - New York City Cancer Institute - New York City, New York
www.nyuci.org
New York University Cancer Institute (NYUCI) and the Bellevue Cancer Center (BCC) work together to decrease and eliminate cancer as a significant health problem by developing and maintaining quality programs in patient care, research, education and prevention. The Reducing Barriers to Cancer Care program serves underserved, limited English-speaking, Chinese cancer patients and their families in New York City. The program seeks to improve quality of care in the BCC by reducing linguistic, cultural and financial barriers. The BCC will enhance its support services, determine the unique needs of the target population, expand the Chinese cancer patient support group and develop culturally-relevant education materials. A bilingual patient navigator will be assigned to the multidisciplinary oncology clinics to help patients navigate the health care system as well as overcome access barriers by scheduling and coordinating appointments, arranging translation, ensuring transfer of medical records from referring physicians and arranging transportation.

BEAT Cancer
Phoenix Indian Medical Center - Phoenix, Arizona
www.ihs.gov/FacilitiesServices/AreaOffices/Phoenix/phx_su_phx.cfm
Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC) is an American Indian health service hospital that provides a comprehensive range of primary, specialty and community health services to American Indians in the Phoenix area. Funding from the LAF will help develop, test and disseminate a monthly cancer education series, Be Educated About Treatment (BEAT Cancer), to empower American Indian cancer patients to be informed about their treatment, make good decisions about care, self-advocate and communicate with their oncology team. The program offers presentations that focus on diagnosis and treatment options, symptom and side effect management, nutrition, exercise, feeling and looking well, disability issues and how to be a cancer care advocate. The presentations are presented in a culturally appropriate way for American Indian patients. The program also offers training to interested participants from the community so they can offer BEAT in urban and reservation settings.

Pacific Islander Sister-to-Sister Support and Education Network
Samoan National Nurses Association - Carson, California
www.snna.org
The mission of the Samoan National Nurses Association (SNNA) is to improve and expand the Pacific Islander community's opportunities through service, education, advocacy and research. The goal of the Pacific Islander Sister-to-Sister Support and Education Network is to increase the detection and prevention of breast cancer by increasing knowledge and awareness. Funding from the LAF will help SNNA target low-income, underserved Pacific Islander breast cancer survivors in Los Angeles County, where there is currently no community model through which survivors can offer peer support and assist in community education activities. The program will also provide survivor support meetings, peer support from trained volunteers, one-on-one emotional and practical patient navigation support, family caregiver support, community education from survivors and SNNA nurses, and free community breast screenings. 

Cancer Support Group
West Virginia Health Right, Inc. - Charleston, West Virginia
www.wvhealthright.org
West Virginia Health Right, Inc. provides medication and primary health care free of charge to the uninsured and underinsured populations in Charleston, W.V. This project will train health care providers to identify patient concerns and implement behaviors supportive of cancer survivors. At regular clinical visits, medical providers will discuss survivorship issues and the role of good habits in overall health status. Project goals are to educate and sensitize staff and volunteer health care providers to cancer survivorship issues and to identify barriers of the medically underserved population whose needs are virtually unexplored. It will be highly interactive and focus on building skills, sharing experiences and providing support.

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2004 Participants

The Gathering Place Pilot Program
The Gathering Place - Beachwood, OH
www.touchedbycancer.org  
This pilot program is a collaborative effort between The Gathering Place and Case School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. The pilot program educates the next generation of physicians about the unique struggles of cancer survivorship, and the role of integrative therapies in cancer care. The Gathering Place (TGP) is a community based cancer support center that supports, educates and empowers individuals and families touched by cancer through programs and services provided free of charge. The 12-week program-in which students learn through didactic teaching, group sessions, interviews with cancer survivors, and observation of and/or participation in integrative therapies- enables medical students to address these issues with patients in an informed manner, and allows them to help cancer survivors integrate these therapies into daily living. The grant includes creation of a teaching manual for medical students that provides an in-depth analysis of specific integrative therapies, the role of these therapies for the cancer survivor, and the evidence to support or refute each.

Learning My Story
Washington University - Saint Louis, MO
www.wustl.edu
The Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children's Hospital is a major Midwestern referral center for pediatric oncology patients, diagnosing and treating approximately 120 new patients per year. The Late Effects Clinic was established in 2002 to begin a more formal follow up program for cancer survivors. Learning My Story is a program designed to reach out to their survivor population who have been "lost to follow up", and may not fully know their health history and potential risks related to their treatment for childhood cancer. The goal of the program is to find these survivors to both educate and to manage current and future health problems in developing a lifetime wellness strategy.

Lives in Transition
Padres Contra El Cancer - Glendale, CA
www.iamhope.org
This grant provides Padres, the recipient of a 2003 award through the Community Program, with the opportunity to augment their current educational program with a new component called 'Lives in Transition' coaching program. The program is a series of workshops and quarterly seminars designed to not only educate families about cancer and other life issues that arise, but to help coach them through the process. The program offers eight consecutive weeks of coaching sessions (workshops) for parents/primary caregivers, and four consecutive weeks for patients and siblings, and quarterly follow up seminars for each group that participates.

Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute
Flint, MI
www.ghci.org
This project evaluates cancer patients pre-, during and post-treatment, to determine levels of psycho-social distress, with emphasis on employment issues. An intervention is then created based on needs determined from the information gathered by assessing, addressing and alleviating the stresses associated with employment issues of a patient undergoing cancer treatment, a patient returning to work during and/or after treatment, co-workers fears and communication problems, and job competency concerns. Participants are recruited from the Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute, Genesys Regional Medical Center, Hurley Medical Center, and throughout the Greater Flint area.

LegalHealth Project
New York Legal Assistance Group - New York, NY
www.nylag.org
LegalHealth, a project of the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), provides direct legal services to people with chronic illnesses and educates health care professionals serving this population. LegalHealth assists chronically ill individuals in getting the services they need by training health and social service professionals to understand and assume their role in ensuring that comprehensive legal-healthcare services are delivered and by providing free legal services on-site, where the patient most frequently seeks help. The grant to LegalHealth helps support and expand its legal services to cancer survivors, to train oncology professionals on the legal issues that affect their patients and to advocate for the creation of additional community-based, legal-medical partnerships to address the complex issues facing cancer survivors, particularly low-income and indigent patients.

The Psycho-Educational Theatre Program
The San Francisco General Hospital Foundation - San Francisco, CA
www.sfghf.net
Building on the success of their psychosocial educational series for cancer patients, this grant expands the program to include a psychosocial educational theatre component. The primary objective of this bilingual (English/Spanish) program is to provide patient-guided health education and awareness tailored to the hospital community, including patients, health care providers, administrators and family members. The program fosters dialogue among these different communities and attempts to build greater understanding of the complex issues surrounding cancer. The patient-centered methodology addresses the stigma and fear surrounding a cancer diagnosis, which often results in alienation and isolation for the diagnosed individual. Program facilitators guide members of the group through a therapeutic process in which full-scale original theatre pieces are created and performed for the larger community. The Psycho-Educational Theatre Program guides participants in creating an original script that is written, performed and directed by program participants. Three performances of the final show are scheduled at the Brava Theatre, a well-known local community theatre in close proximity to San Francisco General Hospital.

How to Start Your Own Cancer Support Group/Leadership
Native People's Circle of Hope - Tigard, OR
www.npcoh.org
Native People's Circle of Hope (NPCOH) is a grassroots organization where one Native American person helps another Native American person believe that a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. Given that cancer is the second leading cause of death of Native Americans, an individual or community change in cancer awareness and prevention must start one person or one community at a time. NPCOH brings the support of Native cancer survivors to the local level, to the kitchens, community centers and tribal halls of the Native communities. In order to mobilize the local efforts NPCOH has determined that local chapters must be developed. This is accomplished by identifying local Native cancer survivors or supporters, selecting "banner-carriers," i.e., people who are enthusiastic about helping other survivors, nurturing and training the "banner-carriers" and providing them with continual support of their efforts by inclusion in NPCOH activities. This grant funds the training of twenty Native American "banner-carriers" from the target states of Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Hawaii and northern California. The training is titled "How to Start Your Own Cancer Support Group/Leadership" and provides the participants with the culturally appropriate tools to begin their own cancer support groups in their local communities.

Reel Recovery Retreat Expansion
Reel Recovery, Inc. - Centennial, CO
www.reelrecovery.org
Former grant recipient Reel Recovery helps men in the cancer recovery process by introducing them to the healing powers of the sport of fly-fishing, while providing a safe, supportive environment to explore their personal experiences with cancer with others who share their stories. This grant builds upon the start-up grant provided by the LAF in 2003 (in support of website development and the second-ever Reel Recovery retreat, in Colorado) by funding expansion/replication of this unique program in additional communities around the U.S. in 2004 and 2005.

"Can You Hear Me Now?"
University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center - Birmingham, AL
www3.ccc.uab.edu
Can You Hear Me Now? is a pilot series of six cancer related, interactive and experiential sessions over a one-year period for cancer survivors. The goal of these two-hour sessions is to enhance the quality of life for cancer survivors by offering an educational and support mechanism that gives participants resources to address survival issues. The final and seventh session is a Lagniappe ("a little extra") celebration-based, informal social occasion (pot luck meal) with no formal speaker. The purpose of the final session is to build group cohesion and allows survivors to share anything of significance gained over the previous six months.

Coping with Chemobrain
CancerCare, Inc. - New York, NY
www.cancercare.org
CancerCare's Coping with "Chemobrain" program complements existing cancer survivorship programs in the community by collaborating with other organizations to reach out to people with cancer, their families and professionals about this important issue and importantly people accessing this material are also referred to related resources such as www.livestrong.org for assistance with other survivorship challenges. The program for people affected by cancer/cancer treatment-related difficulties in cognitive functioning are also a part of CancerCare's full range of services, enhancing the many professionally-led services already available to clients. These comprehensive and expert services address the needs of patients at all stages of the disease (from diagnosis to treatment and beyond), and include counseling, education, information and financial and practical assistance. The goals of this program, which is aimed at both survivors and professionals, include: 1) increasing awareness of the possibility of post-treatment cognitive problems; 2) developing educational materials appropriate for both groups, focused on identifying, remediating and coping with "Chemobrain"; 3) assessing the accessibility and usefulness of these materials among survivors with cognitive difficulties; 4) identifying additional areas of need among these groups; 5) disseminating this information through the organization's website and written materials; 6) continuing and refining onsite workshops for clients concerned about "Chemobrain"; and 7) developing a professional workshop at CancerCare to educate oncology professionals about these issues, their psychosocial impact and available resources. CancerCare uses Live Strong content to accomplish each of these goals.

Juneau Survivor Network
Southeast Alaska Cancer and Wellness Foundation/Cancer Connection - Juneau, AK
Southeast Alaska Cancer and Wellness Foundation, Inc., has been assisting Alaskans living with cancer and providing wellness education to the community since 1998. The foundation organizes annual men's and women's health forums in Juneau, coordinates transportation and counseling assistance for cancer survivors, and assists three local cancer support groups. It also coordinates a Survivors Day Walk and Caregivers Luncheon and participates in local health fairs, as well as many other cancer awareness activities. This grant helps create a Survivor Network in Juneau and expand that network throughout Southeast Alaska over the course of the following year.

Nutrition Education and Support Initiative
Cancer Patient Support Program - Burlington, VT
www.vermontcancer.org
The mission of the Cancer Patient Support Program is to provide hope for tomorrow for cancer patients and their families. The program provides survivorship support and education to patients receiving care at Fletcher Allen Health Care (Hematology/ Oncology areas, Radiation Oncology, Breast Care Center), the Vermont Center of Cancer Medicine, Inc., located in Burlington, Vermont, and to patients throughout Vermont and Upstate New York. The CPSP is dedicated to offering professional support services to all patients in need, free of charge. This grant supports the hiring of an experienced nutrition clinician who implements a nutrition education and support initiative.

WeCanRow Breast Cancer Program
Row As One Institute, Inc. - Newton, MA
www.rowasone.org
Row As One Institute, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop an empowering and safe learning environment for women and girls of all cultures, backgrounds and abilities through recreational and competitive rowing. With this grant, Row As One is conducting a formal evaluation of the WeCanRow program, which was supported by a 2003 award through the Community Program. While the anecdotal evidence is overwhelmingly positive, Row As One wishes to establish that exercise and athleticism is an effective intervention and a promoter of overall health. The core question to be answered is does the program successfully address the specific physical, emotional and social needs of breast cancer survivors. The results of the evaluation will be used to prepare the program for national expansion, for which a pilot site is already existent in Michigan. This project involves collaboration with former LAF research grant recipient Carolyn Kaelin (herself a breast cancer survivor currently undergoing therapy) and with The Wellness Community.

Counseling Program Expansion
Children's Chance - Columbia, SC
www.childrenschance.org
Children's Chance was established 7 years ago to assist children in South Carolina who have cancer and their families with non-medical needs, including psychological, emotional and financial support. This grant expands Children's Chance Counseling Program to reach South Carolina families treated in any clinic served by Children's Chance so that families throughout South Carolina may take advantage of these services. The Children's Chance Counseling program has offered six visits a year to the counselor of their choice to families or family members (childhood cancer survivor, sibling, parent, or family as a whole) who have been impacted by a child's cancer. If, upon completion of the basic option counseling sessions, it is determined a family or individual needs more visits, the program also allows for up to 6 additional visits. This benefit is available only when supported by the request and appropriate documentation from the counselor.

The Caring Community - Living with Cancer (CCLC)
Jewish Family Service of San Diego - San Diego, CA
www.jfssd.org
The Caring Community - Living with Cancer (CCLC) offers programs in Central San Diego, South and East Counties in the form of weekly support groups for cancer patients and their family members, and weekly stress management activities and monthly networking groups, which are cancer-specific. This funding allows the organization to continue providing a Spanish-speaking support group in the South County, as well as to implement a Spanish-speaking support group in North County Inland.

American Indian/Alaska Native Cancer Pain Education Curriculum Train-the-Trainer (TOT)
Program: Taking Care of Native Cancer Survivors
The UnBroken Circle - San Francisco, CA
This grant allows the UnBroken Circle to print and disseminate a three-module American Indian/Alaska Native Cancer Pain Education Curriculum Train-the-Trainer (TOT) Program: Taking Care of Native Cancer Survivors, and its associated materials (including a read-only CD), to tribal health programs nationally. The curriculum was developed under a Mayo Clinic Spirit of E.A.G.L.E.S./NCI grant in 2003. The program has been focus-tested and revisions have been completed through and beyond its initial funding. LAF funding makes possible the expansion of an existing program and makes it widely available to tribal health organizations, tribal health consortiums and Native cancer survivor support groups who are in the position to train trainers, educate their constituents and communities about cancer pain, and advocate for optimal pain management for Native cancer survivors experiencing pain.

Pacific Islander Cancer Survivorship Educational Forum Pilot Project
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum - San Francisco, CA
www.apiahf.org
With this grant, APIAHF is conducting the Pacific Islander Cancer Survivorship Educational Forum pilot project aimed to educate cancer survivors and health care providers about culturally relevant survivorship issues and provide information about cancer support programs and resources for Pacific Islander communities in Northern and Southern California. Activities include focus groups, key informant interviews, development of the educational forum curriculum, and coordination and implementation of two educational forums. The project is targeted for Pacific Islander cancer patients and survivors, community based organizations serving PI communities, health care providers and health departments. Pacific Islander cancer patients and survivors can advocate for enhanced culturally appropriate programs and resources at the local and state level utilizing the focus group findings and the forum proceedings.

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2003 Participants

Benefits and Health Insurance Counseling and Education Program
cc.ucsf.edu/crc
The Cancer Resource Center (CRC), UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center - San Francisco, California
The CRC is a community-based and privately funded organization affiliated with the University of California San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center. Serving more than 12,000 cancer patients annually, the CRC offers free personalized information and referral services, assistance researching treatment and wellness options, links to local and national programs and databases and support materials. With the support of a 2003 LAF community grant, the CRC will expand its Benefits and Health Insurance Counseling and Education program to assist cancer survivors at all stages of survivorship with questions about disability income and health insurance issues. The program will offer ongoing individual benefits counseling sessions as well as two semiannual health insurance training seminars open to the public.

Cancer Survivorship Education Initiative for Texas Nurses
www.noeptexas.org
Nurse Oncology Education Program of the Texas Nurses Foundation - Austin, Texas
The LAF's 2003 community grant to the Nurse Oncology Education Program of the Texas Nurses Foundation will help launch the Cancer Survivorship Education Initiative for Texas Nurses. The initiative, funded also by the Texas Cancer Council, aims to increase awareness among nurses of the unique psychological and physiologic problems faced by cancer survivors and to enable them to provide patients with accurate information, resources and psychological support that will improve their quality of life. The initiative's educational module, which targets the state's practicing nurses and student nurses, includes a printed booklet, a PowerPoint presentation on CD (for use in presentations to nursing students or health professional groups), an audio CD and a web-based independent study module. Four thousand Texas nurses will receive the booklet or audio CD, while additional nursing school faculty members will receive the booklet for presentation to nursing students.

Cancer Survivorship Educational Retreat
www.leukemia-lymphoma.org
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Northern California Division - San Francisco, CA
A 2003 community grant from the LAF will help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Northern California Division enrich its Family Support Group Program by hosting an educational retreat focused on cancer survivorship issues for the volunteer healthcare professionals who facilitate the organization's family support groups. The three-day retreat will focus on the emotional, physical and financial ramifications of survivorship and will provide facilitators with information, insight and resources to support their work with cancer patients and their families. Facilitators will share this information through their individual family support groups as well as in their daily work at hospitals and clinics throughout Northern California.

Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Inc.
www.cbwchc.org
New York, New York
The Charles B. Wang Community Health Center is a non-profit, community-based primary health facility in New York City. The Center provides access to quality and culturally sensitive health care and health education services to members of the Asian American community who, due to cultural, language, education or financial barriers, may not have access to such services. Thanks to a 2003 community grant from the LAF, the Center will expand its reach to the underserved Chinese American immigrant community with workshops and outreach educating cancer survivors on issues, risks and services, in an effort to improve their quality of life.

Coulee Region Cancer Survivor Support Network
Osseo-Fairchild Public Education Foundation - Osseo, Wisconsin
An award to Osseo-Fairchild Public Education Foundation supports the Trempealeau County Health Department (TCHD) in providing informational presentations and survivorship support to residents of the rural area of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. Staff will visit local physicians to provide training and educational materials regarding cancer survivorship. In addition to the portion of the program supported by LAF, each month a one-hour show featuring physicians and cancer survivors will be produced and aired on the local cable television channel.

Enhancing the Quality of Life of Pediatric Cancer Patients through the Expansion of Neuropsychology Services
www.flhosp.org
Florida Hospital Foundation/Florida Hospital Cancer Institute - Orlando, Florida
The LAF is pleased to support the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute's Pediatric Oncology Program with a 2003 community grant. The grant will support comprehensive neuropsychology services, neurocognitive evaluation, school consultations and individual and family counseling for pediatric and adolescent cancer survivors to enhance their academic and social success and facilitate their reintegration into school. The goal of the project is to improve the quality of life for pediatric cancer survivors by addressing issues that impact their ability to learn, socialize and lead productive lives. The program will serve children age three and older treated for cancer and lacking healthcare coverage and ability to pay for neuropsychology services.

ESCAPE: Empowering Survivors of Cancer through Awareness, Prevention, and Education
www.wihri.org
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island - Providence, Rhode Island
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and its Women's Oncology Program, understanding the effect of survivorship education programs on quality of life, developed the ESCAPE (Empowering Survivors of Cancer through Awareness, Prevention, and Education) program to provide advocacy, education and support for cancer survivors and their family members. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will enhance this program by support the newly created position of patient advocate. Working with cancer survivors ranging in age from 20 to over 90, the patient advocate will ensure that patients and families understand late effects of treatment, cancer recurrence, follow-up care and monitoring of cancer, to optimize quality of life.

Expressive Therapy Series
www.friendshealthconnection.org
Friends' Health Connection - New Brunswick, New Jersey
The Friends' Health Connection connects individuals who have the same health problems on a customized, one-to-one basis for mutual support. With the support of an LAF community grant and the participation of 45 affiliate hospitals and healthcare facilities, Friends' Health Connection is offering the Expressive Therapy Series in New York and New Jersey. The Expressive Therapy Series aims to ensure that individuals with cancer, their families and caregivers have access to expressive therapies - art, music, dance/movement, drama, poetry/writing, play - so they can integrate these valuable lessons within their treatment, coping and healing activities.

Gilda's Club Seattle
www.gildasclubseattle.org
Cancer Communication for Teens and Parents - Seattle, Washington
A 2003 community grant from the LAF will enable Gilda's Club Seattle to implement and continue "Cancer Communication for Teens and Parents" as part of its Health Education Series. The six-session workshops for teenagers and their parents are presented up to four times annually. The program will center on the social and emotional issues faced by teenaged cancer survivors. With a focus on understanding feelings and relationship dynamics and fostering communication skills, the program can make a difference in the quality of life for both teens and their families.

Gilda's Club Westchester
www.gildasclubwestchester.org
White Plains, New York
Among Hispanic women, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer. Unfortunately, Hispanic women are especially underserved medically due to barriers such as language, lack of financial resources, lack of health insurance and problems navigating complex healthcare systems. A community grant from the LAF will help Gilda's Club of Westchester expand its reach to Spanish-speaking women with breast cancer and their families and friends in the Westchester, New York, area. The grant will help fund monthly support groups for Spanish-speaking women, monthly yoga classes taught in Spanish, four survivor education workshops taught in Spanish and outreach to the Hispanic community.

Kid Power Program/Back to School Project
www.theyouthcampus.org
The Youth Campus - Park Ridge, Illinois
A 2003 community grant from the LAF will support the Back to School Project, a comprehensive educational support program for pediatric and adolescent cancer patients in the Chicago metropolitan area. A collaboration among Children's Memorial Hospital, Rush Presbyterian Children's Hospital and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Back to School Project is part of The Youth Campus' Kid Power program, which provides supportive services to children and adolescents receiving treatment for a serious illness and their family members. Back to School provides supportive services including in-hospital tutoring, teacher and peer workshops, Web TV distribution and out-of-hospital tutoring to minimize the academic and social hurdles typically connected with cancer treatment.

Living on Purpose
www.richardsonregional.com
Richardson Regional Medical Center Foundation, Inc. - Richardson, Texas
The Living on Purpose survivorship program is a comprehensive and multi-dimensional survivorship program addressing education and quality-of-life issues in a supportive group environment. Through four workshops and six "fireside chats" a year - incorporating music therapy, art therapy, biofeedback and relaxation techniques, information on physical activity and nutrition, and supportive group interaction to address psychosocial and spiritual issues related to life with cancer - the program seeks to improve quality-of-life for 300 to 400 cancer survivors per year at no cost to the participants.

Mautner Project for Lesbians with Cancer
www.mautnerproject.org
Hope and Healing Project - Washington, D.C.
The Mautner Project for Lesbians with Cancer provides education, support and programs to women between the ages of 27 and 70 who are either living with a cancer diagnosis, caring for a partner or family member with a cancer diagnosis or coping with the loss of a loved one. The only national organization of its kind, the Mautner Project offers free monthly workshops and a weekend retreat through its innovative Hope and Healing program. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will help the organization extend the success of this program by producing a technical manual for use by other community organizations and agencies in replicating the Hope and Healing program and increasing services to lesbian survivors around the country.

New Outlook
www.stvincenthealth.com
St. Vincent Foundation - Little Rock, Arkansas
St. Vincent Health System's New Outlook: The Cancer Recovery Center was created in 1996 and reaches more than 2,000 cancer survivors annually through services including educational literature, support groups, prostheses fittings, cosmetic needs, physical therapy consultation and diet consultation. Based in Little Rock, Arkansas, New Outlook is the only program in the state that serves all people who have been diagnosed with or are surviving cancer, regardless of where they are receiving medical care. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will enable New Outlook to begin two monthly support and education groups, one for approximately 30 women in Searcy, Arkansas, and one in Little Rock for approximately 30 women age 35 and under. The grant will also help New Outlook expand its resource center with additional publications specific to survivorship.

Northern Berkshire Breast Health Initiative
www.nbhealth.org/reach/reach
REACH Community Health Foundation - North Adams, Massachusetts
A 2003 community grant from the LAF to the REACH Community Health Foundation's Northern Berkshire Breast Health Initiative will help provide much-needed support services and resources to women affected by breast and gynecological cancer in the rural communities surrounding Northern Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The initiative was established in 2002 to increase breast cancer screening, coordinate care for women diagnosed with breast cancer, and provide ongoing support for women's cancer patients in a caring environment. With LAF funding, REACH will add a women's cancer support group featuring specialized retreats, creative activities such as art and writing therapy, coordination of complementary care and support services (and payment for clients unable to pay for these services), and a resource center on women's cancer.

Nutrition and Cooking Classes for Cancer Survivors
www.pcrm.org
The Cancer Project/Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine - Washington, D.C.
The importance of diet to cancer survival is a critical focus of The Cancer Project, a program of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will fund a year of the project's popular Nutrition and Cooking Classes for Cancer Survivors. The classes teach survivors and their supporters about the importance of good nutrition for cancer survival and prevention. Each weekly, 90-minute class includes a nutrition talk by a physician followed by cooking instruction with a dietitian. Sessions focus on various aspects of diet and how they affect cancer survival. This year's program will document the classes' effectiveness in changing participants' diets and will submit the results to peer-reviewed medical journals for publication.

Padres Contra El Cáncer
www.padrescontraelcancer.net
Glendale, California
Padres Contra El Cáncer (Padres) is an organization committed to improving the quality of life for Latino children with cancer and their families. As the only Latino organization of its kind in the country, it provides emergency financial assistance, psychosocial support and educational resources to Los Angeles families who have children with cancer. A 2003 grant from the LAF will support Padres' Education and Family Support program in the development and production of bilingual education classes and materials. These classes are designed to educate patients and extended family members about topics including medical diagnoses, treatment options, psychosocial and financial issues, general family health concerns and other survivorship issues such as school reintegration.

Project Talk
www.thefamilycenter.org
The Family Center - New York, New York
Founded in 1994, The Family Center in New York, New York, has helped more than 750 families deal with the dramatic changes caused by parental illness and death. The Center serves single mothers (ages 24 to 45), the majority of whom are of African and/or Latin American heritage, live in New York City's most marginal neighborhoods and receive public assistance. The Center's innovative, holistic approach provides families with an integrated team of professionals, including a case manager, social worker and attorney to help parents enhance family stability and make plans for the future. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will help The Family Center launch Project Talk to provide specialized support group and mental health services for families affected by cancer. These group services include Family Pride, an eight-week multi-family support and education program that includes a weekend camping trip and activity-based therapeutic groups for youth.

Prostate Cancer Forum
www.arprostatecancer.org
Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation - Little Rock, Arkansas
The Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation is a non-profit advocacy group created to raise the awareness of the high risk of prostate cancer, to facilitate early diagnosis and to improve treatment. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will support the Foundation's first annual Prostate Cancer Forum, a one-day event featuring a series of workshops for prostate cancer survivors (including those recently diagnosed) and their families. The program will help participants better understand diagnosis and treatment options, manage side effects, improve health via nutrition and stress management, improve patient/doctor communication and build the comfort level of discussing sensitive health issues associated with prostate cancer. The program will also provide an opportunity for prostate cancer survivors and their families to meet others who share their diagnosis

Survivorship Professional Education Program
www.lls.org
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - White Plains, New York
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), established more than 53 years ago, is the world's largest, voluntary health organization dedicated to funding research toward cures for blood cancers and improving the quality of life of patients and their families. The LLS, with the help of a 2003 LAF community grant, established the Survivorship Professional Education Program for oncology nurses and social workers that focus specifically on survivorship issues. The program educates participants on mind-body healing and integrative medicine options for patients during and beyond the treatment portion of their journey as cancer survivors.

Survivor's Network
www.cancerpatientcare.org
Cancer Patient Care - Spokane, Washington
Cancer Patient Care of Spokane, Washington, assists hundreds of low-income cancer patients and survivors each year. Founded in 1958, the non-profit agency serves patients and their families who have nowhere else to turn for vital cancer-related services. Managing a caseload of approximately 300 clients per month, Cancer Patient Care works with clients to find new ways to manage cancer in their daily lives, both through direct services and referrals to collaborating agencies. A 2003 community grant from the LAF will help the organization create a Survivors Network dedicated to maintaining the long-term health of clients and their families. The Network will offer educational survivor seminars, a speakers bureau, guides on survivorship issues and a support program pairing current cancer patients with survivors.

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2002 Participants

Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin
www.bcrc.org
The LAF awarded a grant to the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin to establish two new support groups. Breast cancer survivors living in Williamson County and other outlying areas often find it stressful and difficult to travel to Austin to attend support groups, which can be a valuable source of strength during and after treatment. The LAF is happy to help the BCRC address this need for women living with, through, and beyond breast cancer.

Seton Cancer Care Team
www.setonfund.org
The Cancer Care Team at the SETON Healthcare Network helps adult cancer patients overcome barriers to care, links them with needed services, and empowers them to take charge of their health. The LAF is pleased to support two rehabilitative programs in Austin with a community grant: the Fatigue Management Program and the Peripheral Neuropathy Rehabilitation Program. These quality of life programs address two conditions experienced commonly experienced by many cancer survivors for years after treatment has ended.

American Cancer Society, Austin Metro Market: Building Bridges Family Weekend Retreat
www.cancer.org
The LAF is pleased to join the American Cancer Society and the Foundation of Lone Star Hospice in supporting the Building Bridges Family Weekend Retreat in spring of 2003. Twenty-five couples and families living with the cancer diagnosis of an adult family member will participate in the retreat, which will provide support, education, recreation and connection with other families in similar situations.

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2001 Participants

Wonders & Worries
www.wondersandworries.org
Founded by child life specialists Meredith Cooper and Melissa Hicks, Wonders & Worries, Inc. provides Austin-area children an outlet to learn and express their feelings about cancer. Young people can be deeply affected when a parent has been diagnosed with cancer, showing changes in behavior, mood, and academic performance. Wonders & Worries provides them comfort and support in learning how to manage the impacts of their parent's illness. Participants attend a six-week program that includes formalized support groups, individual counseling and recreational group activities so that they can learn to cope with their parent's illness and openly communicate with loved ones about their feelings.

For more information, contact Wonders & Worries at:
Wonders & Worries, Inc.
923 Westbank Drive
Suite C
Austin, TX 78746
512-329-5757

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