CANCER ASSOCIATION OF ANDERSON
215 E CALHOUN ST, ANDERSON, SC 29621 www.cancerassociationanderson.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE CANCER ASSOCIATION OF ANDERSON (CAA) IS THE ONLY LOCAL CANCER CHARITY IN ANDERSON COUNTY. OUR MISSION IS TO HELP REDUCE THE BURDEN ON ANDERSON COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO ARE BATTLING CANCER BY PROVIDING TREATMENT-RELATED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, INFORMATION AND REFERRAL AS WELL AS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. CAA PROVIDES SUCH SERVICES TO CANCER PATIENTS THROUGHOUT ANDERSON COUNTY AT NO COST, REGARDLESS OF SOCIOECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES OR WHERE THEY RECEIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT. CAA'S VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES SEEK TO COMPLEMENT OUR PATIENTS' CANCER JOURNEYS THROUGH HOLISTIC AND INTEGRATIVE/COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES TO CANCER PREVENTION, SURVIVORSHIP, EDUCATION AND INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: IN 2019, CAA PROVIDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MORE THAN 4,800 CANCER PATIENTS OUT OF OUR 5,100+ TOTAL CANCER PATIENT CONTACTS WHO HAD SUCH NEEDS AS PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE, SPECIALIZED HOME-HEALTH MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, TRAVEL TO AND FROM TREATMENT - MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT AS WELL AS UBER/LYFT SERVICES WHEN NEEDED (BOTH LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE), SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITIONAL DRINKS SUCH AS BOOST/ENSURE, AND ENROLLMENT IN CAA'S NEW "WELL-FIT" PROGRAM, WHICH EDUCATES PATIENTS IN AREAS OF NUTRITION, EXERCISE & STRENGTH TRAINING, FINANCIAL CONCERNS DURING/AFTER TREATMENT, FMLA - EMPLOYEE RIGHTS & SMOKING CESSATION, ETC. (THIS PROGRAM EXPANDED UPON THE PREVIOUS ONCOLOGY REHAB PROGRAM). ADDITIONALLY, CAA PAID INSURANCE PREMIUMS FOR 70+ PATIENTS IN DANGER OF LOSING COVERAGE DUE TO BEING OUT OF WORK DURING ACTIVE CANCER TREATMENT AND PROVIDED ITEMS SUCH AS FREE WIGS, SCARVES AND HATS DUE TO TREATMENT-RELATED HAIR LOSS, MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES TO 700+ PATIENTS. DURING 2019, CAA IMPLEMENTED A NEW OUTREACH PROJECT, FOOD FOR THOUGHT. SUPPORTED BY GRANTS, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND IN-KIND DONATIONS, THE PROJECT TOOK OUR SERVICES INTO THE COMMUNITY. MINI-SESSIONS FEATURING SILVER SNEAKER EXERCISES, CHAIR YOGA, STRETCHING, MINDFULNESS, DEEP BREATHING TECHNIQUES, ETC. WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO ATTENDEES AT NO COST. HEALTHY SNACKS AND SMOOTHIES WERE ALSO PROVIDED ALONG WITH RECIPE CARDS OF THE HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES. PARTNERSHIPS AND GRANT FROM DABO ALL-IN FOUNDATION, ABNEY FOUNDATION, PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN THANK OFFERING, CLEMSON UNIVERSITY, ANDERSON COUNTY AND ANMED HEALTH, FUNDED THE SESSIONS AS WELL AS FREE MAMMOGRAM SCREENINGS AT 6 LOCATIONS WITH UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. CAA ALSO COVERED THE COST OF THE RADIOLOGIST TO READ THE MAMMOGRAMS SO THE WOMEN HAD NO OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE FOR THE LIFE-SAVING SCREENINGS.

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL: CAA CONTINUES TO HANDLE DAILY REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT CANCER PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT AS WELL AS REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL CANCER RESOURCES. CAA MAINTAINS A SMALL LIBRARY OF BOOKS, VIDEOS AND PAMPHLETS FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION. CAA PROVIDES SPEAKERS TO CHURCHES, CIVIC GROUPS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS REGARDING CANCER TREATMENT AND SERVICES AND IS FREQUENTLY CONTACTED BY LOCAL MEDIA FOR COMMENTARY ON CANCER ISSUES. INFORMATIONAL BOOTHS/TABLES ARE REGULARLY SET UP AT COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS THE ANDERSON COUNTY FAIR AND VARIOUS LOCAL HEALTH FAIRS. PUBLIC EDUCATION WAS ALSO CONDUCTED AS PART OF THE CAA'S ANNUAL CONCERT OF HOPE & REMEMBRANCE ATTENDED BY CLOSE TO 1200 PEOPLE, THE GIRLFRIENDS TEA ATTENDED BY 450 PEOPLE, THE HEROES OF HOPE & REMEMBRANCE DINNER ATTENDED BY 200 PEOPLE, AND OUR OCTOBER EVENT, HOWLIN' OF HOPE, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 1200 PEOPLE.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT: EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BEGINS AS PATIENTS ENTER OUR COMFORTING, UPLIFTING "HOME- AND BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED GROUNDS WHERE PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS AND THEIR FAMILIES CAN COME FOR HOPE AND ENCOURAGMENT BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND IN A GROUP. (IN 2019, CAA HAD TOTAL PATIENT CONTACTS OF 5,100+). CAA UTILIZES AND INCORPORATES SUPPORTIVE "INTEGRATIVE" PROGRAMS/COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES THAT UPLIFT AND ENHANCE THE PATIENT'S ABILITY TO FIGHT CANCER AND WHICH MAY HELP CONVENTIONAL CANCER TREATMENTS WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY. AROMATHERAPY, MINDFULNESS, YOGA AND OTHER STRENGTH/STRETCHING EXERCISES, MUSIC THERAPY, JUICING AND HEALTHY NUTRITION CLASSES, GRIEF SUPPORT, ART AND PET THERAPIES ARE JUST A FEW OF THE CURRENT CAA OFFERINGS TO PATIENTS. ADDITIONALLY, OUR CAA STAFF AND BOARD HAVE HOSTED AND/OR FACILITATED ONSITE SUPPORT-GROUPS FOR SURVIVORS OF BREAST CANCER, URO-GENITAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS, AS WELL AS HEAD AND NECK CANCERS. DURING 2019, THE 1 IN 8 SUPPORT GROUP (BREAST CANCER) EXPANDED TO AN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE OF 21-25 EACH MONTH. THE CANCER ASSOCIATION ALSO ADDED A 12-WEEK "STRESS MANAGEMENT" COUNSELING OPPORTUNITY AT FERNVIEW FOR PATIENTS, SURVIVORS, CAREGIVERS AND FAMILIES OF PATIENTS WHICH MET FOR 1.5 HOURS BI-WEEKLY. DURING 2019, PATIENTS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF OUR ONCOLOGY REHABILITATION PROGRAM AT ANMED HEALTH'S LIFE CHOICE AND 25 WOMEN ENROLLED IN THE SURVIVORSHIP PROGRAM WITH MORE WATCHING ONLINE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA INCLUDING FACEBOOK LIVE. A CHOIR OF MORE THAN 150 CANCER SURVIVORS, CAREGIVERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS MET WEEKLY FOR FOUR MONTHS TO PREPARE FOR AND PRESENT THE ANNUAL CONCERT OF HOPE & REMEMBRANCE WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY CLOSE TO 1200 PEOPLE.

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