Support Connection: SC In the News

Archives : 2008

Another merchant supports our work

February 16, 2010

(Yorktown Heights, NY) Maid Brigade, a cleaning service serving Westchester, Putnam, Rockland & Fairfield (888-525-6243) has supported Support Connection’s mission for several years. They recently launched a new donation program to further their support of the organization’s programs.

When customers mention Support Connection during their initial call for cleaning services, Maid Brigade will donate to Support Connection as follows:

They will donate 5% of the cost of the initial visit.
Sign up for regular service and Maid Brigade will track the amount spent and donate 10% to Support Connection (up to $1,000 annually.)

Maid Brigade was a milestone sponsor of the 2009 Support-A-Walk. In addition to spreading the word about the Walk among their customers and in the community, they raised funds for the event and brought a team of walkers to participate. Maid Brigade has also assisted families living with breast and ovarian cancer by lightening their day-to-day load as they cope with treatment and recovery.

Phone Support Group for Women Recently Diagnosed with Breast Cancer - Beginning January 6, 2010

December 15, 2009

Support Connection, Inc. announces a new toll-free monthly support group for women with breast cancer. The group will focus on the specific needs of women who have recently been diagnosed and are about to begin treatment or are currently in treatment. Support Connection is a not-for-profit organization specializing in free, confidential support services for people affected by breast and ovarian cancer.

The first session of this new support group will be on Wednesday, january 6, 2010 beginning at 8 pm (NY time.) It will continue to meet monthly on the first Wednesday of every month. The group will be led by two trained facilitators who are breast cancer survivors: Robin Perlmutter, LMSW, Support Connection’s Clinical Director, and Carine Castrigno, MS, LMHC, a volunteer facilitator.

The telephone format allows women living with breast cancer to participate in a support group from the comfort of their home, which can be helpful during treatment when fatigue and other issues may come into play. It also means that women can participate regardless of where they live. Discussion will focus on topics related to living with breast cancer after diagnosis, as well as issues pertaining to treatment and post-treatment. Women will have the opportunity to connect with other survivors, share information and experiences, and gain support from one another.

Participation is free but pre-registration is required. After registering in advance, participants call a special toll-free number on the evening of the group and are connected with one another and the facilitators via teleconference. For info or to register, call Support Connection at 914-962-6402, or toll-free at 800-532-4290.

Support Connection, Inc. is a 501 (C) (3) not-for-profit organization that provides free, confidential support services and programs to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer. Founded in 1996, Support Connection is based in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., but through their toll-free hotline and website they serve people throughout the country. Services include: One-on-one peer counseling and support groups, offering women the opportunity to connect with other cancer survivors; Ongoing wellness classes; Holistic health workshops; Public educational programs; Information and referral services; A toll-free cancer information and support hotline (1- 800-532-4290.) With Support Connection, those living with breast and ovarian cancer don’t have to face it alone. 914-962-6402 www.supportconnection.org.

Ambassadors Announced for Support-A-Walk

August 31, 2009

(Yorktown Heights, NY) Support Connection, Inc. announces the selection of three Walk Ambassadors for their 15th Annual Support-A-Walk which will take place on Sunday, October 4, 2009 (rain or shine) at FDR Park, Route 202, Yorktown Heights, NY. These Ambassadors represent the spirit and purpose of the Support-A-Walk, which is held to increase awareness of breast and ovarian cancer and to help raise funds for Support Connection’s free, confidential services to those affected by these diseases.

Andrea Karl of Putnam Valley first attended the Support-A-Walk in 2002, invited by a friend and by her sister. She says: “I walked because my sister told me ‘Andrea, everyone is there.’ So that first year, I walked for the community.” The following year, Andrea learned that she had breast cancer. Because of the Walk, she knew she could turn to Support Connection for help. She says “The second year, I walked in celebration of my family and friends who supported me, and in celebration of the new family I’d found at Support Connection.” Soon Andrea was volunteering for Support Connection, and by 2005, she was on staff as a Peer Counselor, giving other women the type of support and assistance she herself received when she was diagnosed.

Andrea continues to walk each year, honoring the strength and courage of the women and families she’s met through working at Support Connection for the past 4 years. She also has a Walk team called “Andrea’s Army” which this year has already brought in more than $1,000 in support. But for Andrea, it’s all about the spirit of the event. She says: “When you see the thousands of people along that path at FDR Park, it hits you how many people have been affected by a cancer diagnosis. It’s also an image that truly defines our mission without a spoken word: no one has to walk a cancer journey alone and no one is ever forgotten.”

Maria DeMichele and Melissa Grande are a mother and daughter who agreed to be Walk Ambassadors as a team. Maria, of Croton-on-Hudson, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005. Ever since, it’s been her mission to raise awareness about the disease. In addition to volunteering at Support Connection, Maria volunteers with the NYS Ovarian Cancer Hotline. She also helps 3rd year medical students learn about ovarian cancer symptoms through the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s Survivors Teaching Students program. Maria says “I’ll to do anything I can to raise awareness about ovarian cancer.” That’s why she agreed to be a Walk Ambassador. “I want to tell my story and bring this disease into public awareness.” Maria adds: “I believe in what Support Connection does. The program brings you in touch with people who really understand. There’s nothing like peer support.”

Maria’s fighting spirit inspired her daughter Melissa Grande of Hastings-on-Hudson to join her efforts. Last year, when Melissa was only 25, the pair attended a national conference for FORCE, an organization for people touched by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Soon after, Maria and Melissa formed a Westchester chapter of FORCE as one more way to help others with experiences similar to their own. Melissa feels the Support-A-Walk offers another opportunity: “My mom and I truly believe in what Support Connection provides to people. We know how much it has helped us. We feel the Walk is our chance to give back.” Their team “Maria’s Marauders” had more than 50 members last year from around the region and raised more than $3,000. Melissa says “The camaraderie created at Support Connection is hard to describe but it’s the thing that keeps us all together. It makes people like me want to be part of something so special.”

Registration and donations are now being accepted for the Support-A-Walk. To learn more or to participate visit www.supportconnection.org or call 914-962-6402.

Support Connection Receives Grant for Breast Cancer counseling Services

March 3, 2009

(Yorktown Heights, NY) Support Connection Inc., a not-for-profit organization based in Yorktown Heights offering free, confidential support services to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer, recently received a $10,000 grant from the Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation Fund of the Community Foundation of Dutchess County. The grant will help fund Support Connection’s Peer-to-Peer Counseling Program for women with breast cancer.

Support Connection’s Peer Counselors provide personalized, confidential support and education to women with breast cancer. All services are provided free of charge. Peer Counselors are women who have experienced cancer and have also received professional training. Peer counseling is provided on the phone or in person, and is available from the time of diagnosis for as long as it is needed, as often as it is needed. Support is available to family members and loved ones as well. The demand for this service has grown steadily over the years, and this grant will help Support Connection meet this critical need.

The Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation Fund of the Community Foundation of Dutchess County, based in LaGrangeville, NY, is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) public charity established in March of 2003. Their mission is to provide funding to non-profit organizations for support services and outreach for people affected by breast cancer in the Hudson Valley, New York. To learn more about Miles of Hope, visit their website at http://www.milesofhopebcf.org/.

Support Connection, Inc. was established in 1996 and since then has provided a wide range of individual and group services to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer. In addition to the services funded by this grant, Support Connection offers in-person breast and ovarian cancer support groups in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties, as well as a toll-free telephone support groups. Additional services include wellness workshops and educational programs offered at various sites, a toll-free cancer information and support hotline; resource and referral information. To learn more about Support Connection’s programs and services, call 914-962-6402 or 800-532-4290 or visit www.supportconnection.org.

Support Connection Receives Grant for Breast Cancer Support Services

February 5, 2009

(Yorktown Heights, NY) Support Connection Inc., a not-for-profit organization based in Yorktown Heights offering free, confidential support services to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer, recently received a $10,000 grant from The Beth C. Tortolani Foundation. The grant will help fund Support Connection’s Customized Care Services for Breast Cancer Survivors.

Support Connection’s program provides personalized, confidential support and education as well as one-on-one peer counseling. All services are provided free of charge. Peer Counselors are women who have experienced breast or ovarian cancer and have also received professional training. Peer counseling is provided on the phone or in person, and is available from the time of diagnosis for as long as it is needed, as often as it is needed. Support is available to family members and loved ones as well. The demand for this service has grown steadily over the years, and the grant from The Beth C. Tortolani Foundation will help Support Connection meet this critical need.

The Beth C. Tortolani Foundation, based in Manhasset, NY, was developed to support and organize programs and services which provide resources, knowledge and skills to women with breast cancer and their families in order to enhance the quality of their lives. The Foundation offer Breast Cancer Education Project Grants to organizations that support and provide these services in accordance with their mission. To learn more about The Beth C. Tortolani Foundation, visit their website at www.bctfoundation.org

Telephone Support Groups for Women with Breast or Ovarian Cancer

January 4, 2009

Support Connection, Inc. now offers two monthly support groups via toll-free teleconference. A group for women living with breast cancer takes place on the first Wednesday of the month beginning at 8 pm (NY time.) A group for women with ovarian cancer takes place on the second Wednesday of every month beginning at 8 pm (NY time.)

The toll-free telephone support groups enable women living with breast or ovarian cancer to participate in a support group regardless of where they live. Even when women live in an area where in-person support groups are available, it can be difficult to attend for one reason or another, such as transportation, fatigue due to illness or treatment side effects, child care issues, etc. A telephone support group enables women to participate and receive peer support without leaving their homes.

The group is led by a Support Connection peer facilitator who is a breast or ovarian cancer survivor. Discussion will focus on topics related to living with cancer through all stages of diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment. Women with breast cancer will have the opportunity to connect with other survivors, share information and experiences, and gain support from one another.

Participation is free but pre-registration is required. After registering in advance, participants call a special toll-free number on the evening of the group and are connected with one another and the facilitator via teleconference. For info or to register, call Support Connection at 914-962-6402, or toll-free at 800-532-4290.

Support Connection, Inc. was established in 1996 and since then has provided a wide range of individual and group services to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer. Based in Yorktown Heights, Support Connection offers in-person support groups in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties, as well as a toll-free telephone support group for women with ovarian cancer. Additional services include: One-on-One Peer Counseling, which can be provided in person or over the phone; wellness workshops and educational programs offered at various sites; a toll-free cancer information and support hotline; resource and referral information. To learn more about Support Connection’s programs and services, call 914-962-6402 or 800-532-4290 or visit www.supportconnection.org.

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