NORWAY — The Most cancers Useful resource Middle of Western Maine has moved to a brand new location on the Stephens Memorial Hospital campus, at 59 Winter Avenue in Norway. An improve in house, its new web site will enable the nonprofit to develop its companies in western Maine.
The middle celebrated final Wednesday with an open home.
“Earlier than we had been at 199 Primary Avenue within the barn,” mentioned Sue Craib, who co-founded the middle, volunteers there and serves as secretary its board of administrators. “We had a single room in that constructing. We really feel like we’ve moved from a one-room faculty home into a complete home. Right here, it’s extra like coming into somebody’s front room, it’s rather more enjoyable.”
Judy Stone, president of the middle’s board of administrators, gave excursions of the brand new facility throughout the open home.
“The train room, which we name the Therapeutic Room, we will use for nearly any exercise,” Stone mentioned. “We’ve got borrowed a sensible tv and we’re in search of our personal, so we will host instructional periods right here.”
Craib and co-founders Barbara Deschenes and David Wilson had been honored throughout the open home, with the Therapeutic Room devoted to them. All three are most cancers survivors and started working collectively in 2012 to make their imaginative and prescient of making a help community for most cancers sufferers navigating prognosis, therapy and religious well-being right into a actuality.
The Most cancers Useful resource Middle of Western Maine honored its founding members Sue Craib, Barb Deschenes and David Wilson by dedicating its Therapeutic Room to them throughout an open home to have a good time its new location at 59 Winter Avenue in Norway. Pictured is Craib (left), board secretary, and Deschene, board director. Offered picture
The middle offers digital wellness packages like yoga, meditation and stress discount. It gives a chair yoga class in Harrison and is including one other “Yoga Warriors” at Posabilities in Norway beginning Sept. 24.
Recognizing that journey could be tough for most cancers sufferers in therapy, the middle contracts with suppliers in western Maine communities for therapies like therapeutic massage, Reiki, reflexology and yoga so sufferers and their caretakers can discover respite near house. The companies are paid for by Most cancers Useful resource Middle of Western Maine.
The middle additionally offers transportation and meals help to shoppers by way of grants.
“Journey help is obtainable for individuals who reside within the space and we offer transportation for therapies,” Stone defined. “Someday individuals must go to Boston for chemo or radiation. Quite a lot of them go to Central Maine Medical Middle for companies, or to Maine Med (in Portland).”
Shoppers additionally obtain Hannaford reward playing cards. Throughout the COVID shutdown volunteers delivered emergency baskets to most cancers sufferers in western Maine with family cleansing provides, private protecting tools and private hygiene gadgets.
The middle has an element time oncology social employee, Stephanie LeBlond, LSW who meets with sufferers to entry their wants whereas in therapy and restoration, present help with medical insurance and to attach them to businesses that present heating help, counseling and different sources.
Throughout the pandemic, entry to companies was restricted to appointments. With extra space now the middle will begin opening for drop-in visits sooner or later every week; different days will proceed to be by appointment solely.
“We’ve led to 80 new sufferers simply this 12 months,” mentioned Govt Director Diane Madden. “Three or 4 new each week. We’ve additionally not too long ago gotten referrals from Rumford and Bridgton.”
She mentioned shoppers of the Most cancers Useful resource Middle of Western Maine come from throughout western Maine. Over the past 5 years residents of Albany Township, Andover, Bethel, Bridgton, Brownfield, Bryant Pond, Buckfield, Casco, Denmark, Dixfield, Fryeburg, Greene, Greenwood, Hanover, Harrison, Hartford, Hebron, Lewiston, Mechanic Falls, Mexico, Milton Township, Naples, Newry, North Waterford, Norway,Otisfield, Oxford, Paris, Parsonfield, Patten, Peru, Poland, Rumford, South Paris, Stoneham, Sumner, Sweden, Waterford and West Paris have benefited from companies supplied by the middle.
Madden joined the middle greater than two years in the past however has been concerned with oncology care throughout the MaineHealth system all through her profession, first as a radiation remedy technologist after which working in oncology administration.
“All of our companies and therapies are free to most cancers sufferers and their caregivers,” Madden mentioned. “It’s a rural mannequin the place we join our shoppers to therapists and instructors of their communities and pay the suppliers.
“We’re distinctive in that Stephanie is right here part-time to satisfy with sufferers in regards to the emotional, bodily or monetary wants they may have – after which join them to the suitable sources.”
As a 501 C3 non-profit, the Most cancers Useful resource Middle of Western Maine welcomes each monetary and volunteer help. To be taught extra or become involved in its mission, individuals ought to go to their web site at www.crcofwm.org; observe them on Fb web page at https://www.fb.com/CRCWesternMaine or name (207) 890-0329.
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