Feature
February
10
Are You Ready to Make a Difference?
by Shea Austin
“There are few times in a person’s life when they are as vulnerable or confused as when they hear the words, ‘You have cancer,’” says Anthony Broomfield the Cancer Resource Center Outreach and Management Chair. “It is something no one is ever prepared to hear or equipped to handle. That is why the Cancer Resource Center will be such a valuable tool for them and their loved ones.”
The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Resource Center hopes to assist newly diagnosed cancer patients, their families and caregivers, and the public with their questions and concerns about the disease. The center will be located at Chabert Medical Center in Houma, LA.
The Cancer Resource Center is a focal point of information for all cancer patients and their families. It will become a place where anyone who needs information is able to visit and have their questions answered or they will be directed to a person or organization that has the answers.
In the fight against cancer, getting emotional support and the right information can be as important as medical care. Cancer Resource Center volunteers will offer hope, support and access to the most up-to-date cancer information available as well as many programs and services of the American Cancer Society.
The Cancer Resource Center’s grand opening is scheduled for April 1, 2011. The community is invited to visit and experience the center’s many resources. Hours of service will be Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Presently, the American Cancer Society is seeking volunteers to staff its facility. While Cancer Resource Center volunteers are not trained medical personnel, they have access to up-to-date information. They are also trained to navigate the American Cancer Society web site and the Society’s Community Resource database.
“Perhaps the most important quality of any volunteer is the ability to listen to the questions, concerns and fears of the patients,” says Anthony Broomfield, Outreach and Management Chair. “Most of the patients that will be walking through the doors of the Cancer Resource Center will be newly diagnosed. They may be looking for information about their surgical or treatments options, but typically may need someone to talk to who can identify with what they are going through.”
Those wishing to serve as volunteers for the Cancer Resource Center should have some basic computer experience or the ability to learn, but most of all, they should be compassionate to the needs of the patients.
“While the application process is open to anyone wanting to volunteer, we are extending a special invitation to all men and women in the area who have themselves been diagnosed with cancer and have gone through the surgery and subsequent treatments,” says Broomfield. “Their firsthand knowledge of the cancer experience would be tremendously helpful to the patients as they go through one of the most traumatic times in their lives.”
For more information about the American Cancer Society Chabert Medical Cancer Resource Center or to serve as a volunteer, please contact Anthony Broomfield at 985-853-2342 or the American Cancer Society at 985-851-7776..
For more information about the American Cancer Society and its programs, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
