After beating Cancer back 3 times over a 24 year period, and losing both Parents within 10 months of each other, I got mad, real mad, and decided to fight back. In order to give back you have to get motivated for the cause, and if having your body attacked by Cancer, then by the drugs that are supposed to kill the Cancer, but almost kill you, then sitting and watching two parents slowly slip away into the grips of Cancer doesn’t get you motivated, then nothing is going to motivate you. But what do you do to “give back”?
There are several ways to give back. When it comes to fighting back against Cancer, The American Cancer Society is the first thing that comes to many people’s mind. Second only to the US Government, the American Cancer Society is the number 2 source of funding for Cancer Research in the US. TheirRelay For Life program is the signature fund raising event and helps millions find a way to Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back.
You can offer to volunteer at your local Cancer Treatment Center. Everyday there are people that just need a small helping hand. Maybe help getting in and out of the car, walking into the center or a friend to talk to. Many people will take refreshments and goodies to the treatment center for patients to have a little something to snack on. Patients who are not feeling good really appreciate the smallest kind gesture.
Some of those people need a way to get to the treatment center because they have no friends or family around. The American Cancer Society has a program where volunteers take patients to the center, then take them back home. It’s called the “Road To Recovery Program”. Without it, some people wouldn’t be able to get their treatments.
You can be a Cancer Advocate, join an online Cancer Support Community such as WhatNext.com and offer your support to others going through the fight. Just by being there to share your journey with them, you can offer a world of inspiration and hope to those that are fighting what may seem like an unwinnable battle.
If you are up to the task, some people will form their own Memorial Foundations, in memory of a loved one or friend who has lost the fight. One WhatNext.com user started a foundation in memory of their son, to help raise awareness for Testicular Cancer. This can be a lot of work, and maybe more than some want to tackle. But it fills a void left by the death of a loved one, and helps to keep their memory alive.
Maybe your good at something, knitting, playing music, teaching, woodworking, etc. You can always take one of the things you love to do, and work it into a benefit, fundraiser, or community project to give back. I have seen a few ladies that like to quilt that will make a quilt a week, then pick out a cancer patient and present it to them. It’s a very touching thing to see. Another pair of ladies crochet afghans for the same purpose. A group of guys who like to play music, that have all been touched by cancer perform a couple times a year for a local Relay For Life event. So if your good at anything, that can become your way of giving back. Don’t sit on the sidelines and wonder if you should or not. One of the most rewarding things you will ever do, is to help someone who needs it, with no expectation of anything in return. But, you will find the returns come back, ten fold.
Relay For Life Of Henry County 