Cancer survivor volunteers

We welcome your interest in volunteering the Cancer Survivors' Network (CSN) at Saint Joseph's. Volunteers are truly the backbone of the Cancer Survivors’ Network.

The CSN is a place to receive cancer resources and support services. It is a place to learn about cancer and cancer survivorship through our many educational programs. But, most importantly, it is a place to connect with others who have traveled, and are still traveling, the cancer journey. Our network is unique in that it is guided by the insight and wisdom of cancer survivors and caregivers who are passionate about “giving back” to others who face the challenges that cancer brings.

We invite you to volunteer with us. There are many ways to volunteer and many levels of involvement. Look over the list below as “food for thought” and let us know if anything interests you. We would love to involve you in what we’re doing and would welcome your contribution.

For more information, contact CSN at CSNinfo@sjha.org.

Click here for recent volunteer news. 

Ways for new volunteers to get involved

Generating new ideas:

• Join our program committee- source of ideas for lunch & learns, new program ideas.
• Help identify gaps in cancer survivorship programming: “what don’t we hear enough about.”
• Join the annual conference committee and help plan topics, outreach efforts, marketing, partnerships with religious community, etc.
• Help design & produce the quarterly newsletter.
• Help design our website content.
• Help research books that should be ordered for our Cancer Resource Library; help organize a book donation drive.
• Help develop new fundraising opportunities.
• Help identify other organizations with whom we should be collaborating.
• Help identify good publicity outlets.

One-on-one support:

• Telephone Connection: be someone that offers to be called as need arises for telephone support.
• Patient Visitation: train to visit patients on the inpatient unit or in the outpatient area.
• Serve lunch to patients in the Outpatient Oncology Unit.

Ongoing education:

• Join the Cancer Resource Library committee: Help sort, shelve, research what books should be ordered or help organize a book donation drive.
• Help identify informative internet sites to add to our internet resource list.

Join the Community Outreach committee:

• Help represent Saint Joseph’s Hospital and the Cancer Survivors’ Network at health-related community events and health fairs.
• Partner with and assist religious institutions with cancer awareness outreach efforts.
  
• Help attract new volunteers by participating in prospective volunteer coffees and special events such as our Celebrate Life party.
• Support Group Facilitator Training: attend this training and start a support group in your own community.
• Help with Saint Joseph's sponsored community events such as Relay for Life.

Office/clerical:

• Help copy, fold and label monthly support group mailings.
• Database maintenance – keep up with address changes, new members, printing labels for mailings.
• Help keep our resource guide up-to-date (annual telephone update).
• Help keep our support group list up-to-date (annual telephone update).
• Assist with developing and sending out monthly e-newsletter.
• Help fax out weekly announcements to community newspapers.
• Assist with the registration desk at the annual conference.

For more information, contact CSN at CSNinfo@sjha.org.