Hands of Hope can help

  Hands of Hope is a community initiative arising from a desire to ensure that no one walks a cancer journey alone. It does not duplicate services but provides support in areas that complement existing community resources.

  Lay navigators are the backbone of this effort. They are volunteer members of your own community who have received special training regarding

* The basic understanding of what cancer is and is not

* How to communicate with the patient and family members

* The need to maintain confidentiality

* The understanding of the availability of community resources.

  How Hands of Hope can help you:

Counseling – They find counseling services for patients, care givers and family members.

Resources – They help you learn more about community resources and how to access them.

Transportation – They help find resources for transportation to medical appointments through the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery Program and other local programs. They can also find transportation to religious services.

Helping Children – They pick children up from school and provide them with a safe environment with people the cancer family knows. This service is available when care givers are away from home taking the patient to treatments and medical visits. They can help with homework, too.

Chores – They find help to do the yard work, run errands, prepare meals and pick up prescriptions.

Respite – They help find time and resources to give care givers time off.

Pet care – They find helping hands to care for animals when you cannot.

Phone calls – They help you keep your family and friends informed when you cannot due to medical emergencies, treatments and follow-up visits.

Social outings – They organize outings should you desire to interact with other families facing the same journey.

Specific Needs – They know that each cancer family has different needs. their goal is to try and help while maintaining your need for confidentiality.

  For information, call Linda Willey, Hands of Hope Coordinator, at 216-9400. (From Hands of Hope)