Cancer Services’ Holiday Party 2025 with Santa & Mrs. Claus!
As we wrap up 2025, we are grateful for YOU! You are what make our events and programs special, and it is a privilege to see how you all live well beyond a cancer diagnosis, and support others while you do!
Our Survive & Thrive Events Theme for 2026 is “Empowered Living: Taking Charge of Your Health & Life“, and we are excited for what 2026 brings! We will share more about how this theme impacts our events and groups in our January email. We hope that you make room in your schedule to join us.
For now, we want to reflect on some of the great ways that cancer survivors and caregivers have connected to each other during group meetings and special events! Check out this article from Dara, our Survivor Mentorship Coordinator.
Finding Strength Together: The Benefits of Survivor Groups
by Dara Kurtz
For the past six months, I’ve had the privilege of coordinating the monthly Breast Cancer Group for Cancer Services, Inc. Recently, in a classroom at the Intergenerational Center for Arts & Wellness, I watched other breast cancer survivors and patients sign in at our monthly meeting.
Usually, I check people in at the door, and then attendees are instructed to sit at one of the tables before the meeting starts. For several, it was their first meeting, and I could tell they felt a little uncomfortable. For others, they’ve been coming to this meeting for years. As I waited at the door and welcomed attendees, I watched the women connect and make space for one another.
Once the meeting began, participants willingly opened up and shared their individual stories. That’s the thing: Everyone at the meeting has a story. Everyone there understands what it feels like to hear the words, “You have cancer.” They know how scary it is to meet with doctors, make hard decisions regarding their individual treatment plans, and then go through surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, or any combination. They don’t have to explain what it feels like to go through a cancer diagnosis, because everyone at the meeting already knows.
While every cancer patient’s experience is different, the commonalities unite survivors.
And that’s the biggest blessing of a monthly group: cancer survivors and patients don’t feel so alone. It’s empowering to come together and spend time with other people who have walked a similar path. It feels good to learn from and talk to others who grasp what you’ve been through and the challenges you might be facing. Monthly groups provide a safe space, and for many, the simple act of being around other people who “get it” offers much-needed relief.
One of the most significant benefits of participating in a group is the emotional connection it provides. Studies have shown that people who participate in groups feel less alone. Talking about fears, side effects, or family concerns in a supportive environment can help relieve these emotional burdens. Members learn from one another and gain tips and suggestions from what someone else did or what might have worked for another survivor.
There’s something magical that happens when cancer survivors come together. It’s a club you didn’t ask to be a member of, but once you are, it’s a blessing to have a safe space to land.
If you’re looking for a way to connect with other cancer patients and survivors, a monthly group might be just the solution. Not only will you connect with others who understand what it feels like to go through a cancer diagnosis, but you might also walk away with new friends.
CLICK HERE TO ADD YOURSELF TO OUR GROUP INTEREST & REMINDER LISTS
Here are some of the monthly cancer groups offered in our community:
- GYN Cancer Group (1st Tuesday, 6pm)
- Metastatic Breast Cancer Group (1st Tuesday and 3rd Tuesday, Virtual)
- Hispanic Survivorship Group (1st Wednesday, 5:30pm)
- Lung Group (1st Thursday, 6pm)
- GI Cancer Group (2nd Tuesday, 6pm)
- Head & Neck Group (2nd Wednesday, 3pm)
- HEAL African American Cancer Group (2nd Thursday, 6pm)
- Breast Cancer Group (3rd Tuesday, 6pm)
- Women’s Book Club (3rd Wednesday, noon, virtual)
- CYAC Young Adult Cancer Group (3rd Wednesday, 5:30pm, virtual)
- Myeloma Group (4th Wednesday, noon)
- Men’s FellowShip Group (4th Thursday, 6pm)
Sneak Peak at January!
Get Real & Heel
An 18-week individualized functional fitness program that meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at Cancer Services Inc. from 10AM – 11AM begins on January 22nd, 2026.
This individualized functional fitness program meets 2 days/week to strengthen both the body and the mind. With this program, clients receive in-person workouts, access to the recorded workout library, and training in areas of cardio, endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility, all at no cost to you!
Doctor’s clearance is required. Contact Shanu, Cancer Services Inc.’s Survivorship Coordinator, for more information!
Art & Wellness kicks back off in 2026!
Exciting News! Sawtooth School for Visual Art is continuing the monthly Art & Wellness class in 2026 and we are going to be hybrid! The class is still on the 4th Thursday at 2pm, but we will have an in-person option (at Cancer Services, Inc. on Maplewood Ave.) AND a virtual option.
- January – Vision Board Journals
- February – Pocket Heart Hugs
- March – Acrylic Painting Techniques
- April – Stitched Meditation
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR JANUARY PROGRAMS
