SUPPORT CONNECTION INC

Our goal at Support Connection is to insure that no one affected by breast and ovarian cancer will have to face it alone. Therefore, our mission is to provide emotional, social and educational support services to women, their families and friends affected by breast and ovarian cancer. The support provided enables women to help each other and empowers them to become their own healthcare advocates.

We offer a wide-range of support services and programs, knowing that effective cancer support cannot be “one-size-fits-all." All of our services are free of charge.

Our One-on-One Peer Counseling program offers individualized support &information This confidential service is free & unlimited. It is available nationwide via our toll-free support line or email. Peer Counselors are members of our staff, and are cancer survivors themselves. They're on duty Mon. through Fri., 9am – 5pm. Anytime you call or email for help or answers, you'll be connected right away with a Peer Counselor.

Our monthly support groups provide a place to meet others who understand what you're going through. Group members share information, experiences, & support in a warm, welcoming environment. We offer 12 monthly support groups. Our in-person groups meet (when in-person meetings are possible) at different locations in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties in NY. We also have two telephone groups; these take place via national toll-free teleconference, making them available regardless of where you live.

We also have a year-round calendar of educational programs & social activities. We have workshops focused on the needs of mind, body & spirit, to enhance quality of life while living with cancer. We provide learning opportunities aimed at empowering you to better cope with diagnosis, recovery, treatment and beyond. We create places for you to enjoy a relaxing activity with a group of women who have also heard the words, “you have cancer." We hold educational forums offering the latest information pertaining to breast and ovarian cancer.

NOTE: When the COVID-19 crisis hit, Support Connection immediately made adjustments to our service delivery so the people we serve would still have our support. We set all staff up to work remotely, including our *Peer Counselors, who have been fielding large numbers of calls and emails every day from cancer patients and survivors who are overwhelmed by trying to manage their unique health needs while our health care system is severely overtaxed. Support groups were transitioned to toll-free teleconference or ZOOM video conference. In-person programs were put on hold, & we created a brand new calendar of programs offered via webinar, teleconference and ZOOM video conference. Coping with cancer under the best of circumstances is extremely stressful. Coping with cancer while also faced with the challenges brought on by COVID-19 is almost unbearable. We understand this, and are committed to being here for those who need us. We will apply these changes to our program for as long as it is necessary. (*As of August 2020, we’ve had a rotating in-office/remote schedule, so one counselor is in the office every day.)

We are uniquely qualified to offer essential support and guidance to those living with breast, ovarian & gynecological cancer because of our distinctive “peer-to-peer" approach to service provision. We employ a staff of Peer Counselors: trained counselors who are also cancer survivors. Our Peer Counselors can talk with you about living with cancer from the perspective of someone who's been there. In addition, they've each spoken with hundreds of other women of all ages and different circumstances. This powerful combination of personal and professional experience enables them to bring unique wisdom to every conversation.

In addition to providing direct services such as one-on-one counseling, our Peer Counselors also plan and implement all of our other services. They choose the topics, speakers and formats for our educational and wellness programs. For our support groups, they lead groups themselves, or they train and supervise volunteers (also cancer survivors) to be support group facilitators. Everything we do, and every service we offer, has a peer-to-peer focus that is rarely seen.

Overall, our staff represents many years of experience. Our Executive Director was involved in the founding of the organization in 1996 and has continued to lead it ever since with a consistent focus on meeting the needs of those living with breast and ovarian cancer. Our Director of Services and Communication, who oversees our Peer Counselors, has been with Support Connection since 2004 and is also a breast cancer survivor. The 3 Peer Counselors on our staff have been with us since 2005, 2012 and 2022 and are all cancer survivors.

What we’ve accomplished so far: We have built a unique, effective model for delivering critically needed support to those living with the many challenges brought on by breast, ovarian & gynecological cancer diagnosis, treatment & the aftermath. We provide these services completely free of charge. Since 1996 we have helped thousands of women & families coping with these diseases. We have developed successful methods for meeting their varied needs: individual & group support, education & wellness. We have consistently been there for those who reach out to us.

What’s next: To continue delivering these services for as long as breast, ovarian & gynecological cancer exist. Our greatest wish is that we will someday no longer be needed. Until a true cure/prevention is found, each year hundreds of thousands of people are diagnosed, leading to hundreds of thousands of survivors who will live with the after-effects of diagnosis & treatment forever. Therefore, our services will continue to be needed for many years to come.