2 UNSTOPPABLE
2Unstoppable is a non-profit providing SUPPORT & INSPIRATION for women with a cancer diagnosis to help incorporate exercise into their lives. 2Unstoppable offers free online fitness buddy matching to help women with cancer find a fitness partner for motivation, support, and accountability. 2Unstoppable’s website provides a wealth of fitness resources including articles, tips, videos, and directories to help women find their best form of movement. We create a supportive community through virtual fitness events to provide the support and inspiration to help women with a cancer diagnosis get moving and stay strong. Exercise improves survival rates, lowers recurrence rate, combats many treatment-related side effects, and improves quality of life for those diagnosed with cancer. We serve any woman, with any type of cancer, at any stage of her cancer journey and all of our programs are offered free of cost to women with a cancer diagnosis. Check us out!
Website: www.2unstoppable.org
BITE ME CANCER
Bite Me Cancer is 501c3 all-volunteer organization in Fairfax County, VA, founded in September 2010 by Nikki Ferraro, five months after she was diagnosed with a rare form of Thyroid Cancer at 17 years old. The foundation’s goals are two-fold:
(1) to support and inspire teenagers battling all cancers especially through its Teen Support Bag program. The foundation has given Teen Support Bags to 7,500 teens across the country as of 7/2020, in every state and DC. Each bag costs the foundation $75 to assemble/ship.
(2) to work towards new treatments and a cure for thyroid cancer through directly funding research grants. So far, 7 grants have been funded by the foundation. The grants are 2-year grants and cost $50,000 to $57,500 each.
Nikki is now 27 yrs old, still deals with cancer and leads Bite Me Cancer.
Website: www.BiteMeCancer.org
CANCER AND CAREERS
Cancer and Careers is a national nonprofit that empowers and educates people with cancer to thrive in their workplace, by providing expert advice, interactive tools and educational events. Its free services include a comprehensive website and library of publications in English and Spanish; legal and insurance information; career coaching; resume review; professional development micro-grants; and national events and workshops for people with cancer and their healthcare providers, coworkers and employers.
Website: www.cancerandcareers.org
Website (Spanish): www.cancerandcareers.org/espanol
E-mail: cancerandcareers@cew.org
Phone: 646-929-8032
COLORECTAL CANCER ALLIANCE
At the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, we know you are never too young for colon or rectal cancer. In fact, the rate of diagnosis is increasing among people under age 50, when screening for colorectal cancer usually begins. As part of our mission to end this disease in our lifetime, the Alliance’s Never Too Young (N2Y) Program is building a passionate community of young-onset patients, survivors, and caregivers who work together to raise awareness through storytelling and advocacy. The Program also produces the Never Too Young Survey Report, which tracks the self-reported medical, psychosocial, and quality of life experiences of this often-overlooked group.
Website: www.ccalliance.org
DONNA M. SAUNDERS FOUNDATION
The Donna M. Saunders Foundation was established in 2012 to honor a remarkable daughter, sister, aunt and friend, who lost her battle with breast cancer in August 2010. It was her adamant desire that her legacy of care and compassion for women journeying through their battle with breast cancer live on after her passing. The Foundation’s mission is to 1) educate the public about the disease, 2) provide financial support to breast cancer patients as they receive treatment, and 3) aid in the efforts to improve cancer prevention. Not unlike many grassroots organizations, our mission seems insurmountable with the swelling breast cancer patient population, significant disparity in the incidences of breast cancer in women of color, and the lack of financial support for those in the midst of treatment. To date, we have been able to respond to numerous breast cancer patients’ financial needs within 72 hours of their initial request.
Website: https://dmsfinc.com/
FIRST DESCENTS
First Descents (FD) provides life-changing outdoor adventures for young adults (ages 18 – 39) impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions, empowering participants to live beyond their diagnoses while connecting with others doing the same! As we standby for adventure during uncertain times, the FD Family continues to find meaningful interactions through online FD-inspired experiences. Community yoga, virtual campfires, outdoor workshops, and our BRAND NEW offering designed to help you plan and execute your next adventure with tips, tools, connections, and exclusive FD deals! Create Your Own Adventure holds true to FD’s mission to embrace a lifestyle of outdoor adventure and connection. Once you join, an FD Adventure Specialist will work with you to make sure the process is smooth from start to finish, providing access to resources like training plans, gear discounts, vetted outfitters, lodging info and more to make Out Living It easier than ever before!
First Descents Website: https://firstdescents.org/
Create Your Own Adventure: https://firstdescents.org/out-living-it-project/create-an-olip-adventure/
Out Living It Project: https://firstdescents.org/out-living-it-project/
FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
No one should have to face hereditary cancer alone. FORCE is the voice of the hereditary cancer community. Hereditary cancers—associated with inherited genetic mutations like Lynch syndrome, BRCA, PALB2, ATM and others—often occur at younger ages so many of our constituents are young adults. A national nonprofit, FORCE provides support, education and awareness to help those facing hereditary breast, ovarian, colon and related cancers know their healthcare options and make informed decisions. Our expert-reviewed information helps inform hereditary cancer screening, prevention and treatment; and, our pioneering support programs offer local, in-person networking as well as virtual and one-on-one navigation. FORCE is the leader in guiding critical research and public policy that impacts the hereditary cancer community. For more information about FORCE, visit:
Website: www.facingourrisk.org
Toll-free Helpline: 866-288-RISK (7475)
Email: info@facingourrisk.org
HOPE CONNECTIONS
Hope Connections for Cancer Support has a mission to help people with cancer and their loved ones deal with the emotional and physical impact of cancer through participation in professionally facilitated programs of emotional support, education, wellness, and hope. We offer support groups for people with cancer and their caregivers; educational workshops with top oncology professionals; stress reduction and nutrition classes; and opportunities for people affected by cancer to connect with and support each other. All programs are provided free of charge. Hope Connections has two locations, one in Bethesda, MD and on in Landover, MD. As of March 2020, all of Hope Connections’ programs are now offered remotely through platforms like Zoom and WebEx.
Website: www.hopeconnectionsforcancer.org
LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY (LLS)
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a global leader in the fight against blood cancer. Our mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS has invested over a billion dollars in research that has advanced breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine. In addition to lifesaving research, LLS provides free, comprehensive support for patients navigating the cancer journey, including information specialists, clinical trial support, education programs, peer mentors, family support groups, online chat communities, nutrition consulting, and financial assistance programs.
Website: www.lls.org
LIFE WITH CANCER
Life with Cancer, a program of the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, has become Northern Virginia’s leading cancer education and support organization. We offer a variety of programs and services for patients, survivors, and their family members to help individuals cope with cancer, its treatments, and survivorship in the best possible way. All programs and services are at no cost (except massage and psychiatry) and open to all adults and children affected by cancer, no matter where treatment is received. For the young adult population, there is a monthly young adult group as well as a young women with breast cancer group. Our skilled oncology clinical therapists, nurse navigators, registered dietitians, child psychologist, psychiatrist, and fitness liaison are available to guide individuals at all stages of the cancer journey.
Website: www.lifewithcancer.org
NUEVA VIDA
Nueva Vida (New Life) was founded in 1999 by Latina breast cancer survivors to fill the gap for comprehensive bilingual health services in the Central and South American immigrant community. As a community-based non-profit organization that provides culturally sensitive and competent cancer care services dedicated to support underserved women in the Latino immigrant community, Nueva Vida has informed, supported and empowered Latinos whose lives are affected by cancer. We are strong advocates for equitable and timely access to state-of-the-art care in the cancer continuum including prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and end of life care. We address critical gaps in obtaining health services for Latinas, mostly due to a lack of access to integrated cancer care, cultural barriers, limited English proficiency, low income, lack of formal education, & lack of a social support network.
Website: www.nueva-vida.org
SMITH CENTER FOR HEALING AND THE ARTS
Smith Center is a nonprofit cancer support organization located in Washington DC. Our mission is to develop and promote healing practices that explore physical, emotional, and mental resources that lead to life-affirming changes for people affected by cancer. Smith Center’s DC Young Adult Cancer Community is all about addressing the unique challenges and concerns of young adults in their 20’s, 30’s, and early 40’s who are living with cancer. We aim to provide a forum for fellowship with a twice monthly young adult cancer survivor meetup group, a young adult cancer caregiver meetup group, and a variety of social and educational workshops on relevant topics ranging from integrative health and fertility choices to coping strategies, relationship issues, and everything in between. For more information on our programs visit https://smithcenter.org/programs-retreats-calendar/
Website: www.smithcenter.org
STUPID CANCER
Stupid Cancer offers a lifeline to the AYA cancer community by connecting them to age-appropriate resources and peers who get it. Our mission is to empower adolescents and young adults affected by cancer by ending isolation and building community. We offer an annual conference (CancerCon), year-round Meetups and weekly Digital Meetups, monthly webinars, a multi-media Stories Library that is always accepting submissions to share the experiences of our community, and a strong social presence (@stupidcancer).
Website: www.stupidcancer.org
TEAM MATHIAS
The mission of Team Mathias is guided by what was important to Mathias during his 29 month battle with osteosarcoma. He was determined to make a positive impact in the lives other children diagnosed with cancer. In a general sense, this meant calling attention to the facts about pediatric cancer, which historically has been underfunded. Treatment can be out-dated and limited, so there is a need for more awareness, funding, and ultimately more research and treatment options. On a daily and personal level, Mathias’s heart went out to kids in the same situation. He identified where he could help and his ideas shaped the work we do today, which include sending personalized care packages to newly diagnosed families, providing financial assistance, and donating to AYA support programs. We are 100% volunteer based and every penny that comes into the foundation goes back out to the pediatric cancer community in Mathias’ Loving Memory.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TeamMathias12
Website: www.teammathias.org
THYCA (THYROID CANCER SURVIVORS’ ASSOCIATION)
ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc., an international nonprofit organization advised by thyroid cancer specialists, educates and supports patients and families through its comprehensive website, support groups, person-to-person support, downloadable educational handbooks and low-iodine diet cookbook in numerous languages. ThyCa sponsors webinars, seminars, workshops, and an annual international 3-day conference, as well as Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, year-round awareness programs for early detection, and thyroid cancer research funds and research grants. Email: thyca@thyca.org
Website: www.thyca.org
TIGERLILY FOUNDATION
Tigerlily’s mission is to educate, empower, advocate for, and support young women before, during and after breast cancer. Through our programs, we seek to educate and empower women of all backgrounds, including those at heightened risk, those facing health disparities, and those with less access to care. We strive to improve the quality of life and end isolation among breast cancer survivors. Most importantly, we encourage and endeavor to empower fearless females in every stage of their journey, and to show them that they are not or alone, and we are here to help young women transform their cancer diagnosis as a catalyst for discovering their own life’s purpose and passion. We offer resources via multiple medians including retreats, guidebooks, newsletters, webinars, twitter chats, gift boxes, journals, podcasts, and so much more. We’ve created a community to show our support for breast cancer survivors, thrivers, patients, caregivers and families.
Website: www.tigerlilyfoundation.org
TRIAGE CANCER
Triage Cancer is a national, nonprofit organization that provides education on the practical and legal issues that may impact individuals diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers, through events, quick guides, and cancer resources. Triage Cancer provides this education by hosting free educational events, such as our Conferences, healthcare professional trainings, and monthly webinar series. Free educational resources in the form of quick guides, animated videos, and charts of state laws are also available on our website. Triage Cancer also hosts CancerFinances.org, a site that provides practical information on topics that can impact your finances. Topics covered include: health insurance options and navigation, employment rights, disability insurance, finances, estate planning, caregiving, accessing clinical trials, and more.
Website: www.TriageCancer.org
ULMAN CANCER FUND
The Ulman Foundation changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer. With an unwavering mission to enhance lives by supporting, education, and connecting young adults, their families, and friends who are affected by cancer, The Ulman Foundation has accomplished a great deal in the way of providing crucial support to thousands of young adults with cancer — through education, a hospitality house, a network of human and health care resources, and fundraising for program and support services provided free of charge. Find out more about what we do and our programs by visiting us online.
Website: www.ulmanfoundation.org
YOUNG SURVIVAL COALITION
Young Survival Coalition (YSC) strengthens the community, addresses the unique needs, amplifies the voice and improves the quality of life of young adults affected by breast cancer, locally, nationally and internationally. This organization is for breast cancer survivors diagnosed in their 40’s or younger regardless of their current age. There is an active local group serving the Washington DC area and YSC also offers ways to connect with other young breast cancer survivors online across the nation. To get connected, visit www.youngsurvival.org/connect.
Website: www.youngsurvival.org/connect
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/YSCDC
youngadultcancerdc.org 