For many years, I volunteered for the King County Crisis Clinic. During that time, Cancer Lifeline’s after-hours calls were forwarded to the KCCC phone line and that’s when I first became aware of the work Cancer Lifeline was doing.
I found some similarities with the Crisis Clinic training when I decided to undergo Cancer Lifeline’s Active Listening and Volunteer training in that it’s important to make sure people feel heard and have a safe place to vocally run through their fears. However, the training for Cancer Lifeline felt more intimate and personal.
Cancer Lifeline encourages volunteers to research and offer resources and class suggestions for those impacted by cancer. It feels good to learn about the many types, treatments, recovery, and resources available to those impacted by cancer. And by helping the Cancer Lifeline staff, we allow more time for them to focus on classes, therapeutic, financial, and fundraising events.
My hope is that Cancer Lifeline can continue to educate and bring people together before they get or know someone with cancer.
Cancer Lifeline positions itself as offering our clients Strength, Dignity, and Hope. Of those three words, until I personally underwent cancer treatment, I would have said Strength and Dignity resonate the most for me. Now I feel the word Hope best describes my feeling about the future. I want to give people the feeling of Hope through education and support during the many phases of cancer.