As Wellspring prepares to launch two high demand cancer support programs in Edmonton, the Stollery Charitable Foundation has awarded $63,000 in funding to help bolster the initiative.
“When it comes to organizations that offer impactful health programs, the Foundation is happy to engage as a philanthropic partner,” said Jeff Bryson, Executive Director of the Stollery Charitable Foundation. “We are glad to be a part of the momentum to get Wellspring’s young adult and family programs up and running in Edmonton.”
This summer Wellspring launched young adult programs in Edmonton; a successful and highly sought after program specifically tailored to adults between the ages of 18 and 40 who have been diagnosed with cancer.
“Young adults faced with cancer experience a unique set of challenges due to the critical time they are at in their lives,” said Ryan Olfert, member experience director for Wellspring Alberta. “Cancer in the lives of young adults can bring tremendous distress and anxiety, it can affect relationships and early family life, and can impact the trajectory of their education and careers.”
Wellspring’s young adult program brings young people with diverse interests and backgrounds together to play games, share meals, attend outings, or just spend time enjoying each other’s company in a relaxed, no pressure atmosphere. With a focus on having fun, the group engages in deeper conversations both cancer and non-cancer related.
This fall, Wellspring will also launch a two-year pilot of its Children’s and Parents’ program, a free weekly program that offers a safe supportive gathering space for families in which an adult member has been diagnosed with cancer. In this evening program, families will come together to share a meal provided by Wellspring, and later parents will be invited to share and explore their experiences and benefit from specialized coping mechanisms and strategies, while the children are offered separate activities guided by a child life specialist.
“This popular program has been running in Calgary, with great outcomes. It helps families communicate better, feel less lonely, improve their emotional well-being, and learn about the illness in a way that is age-appropriate,” said Olfert.
Like all Wellspring programs, both these new offerings in Edmonton are evidence informed and will be provided free of cost and without referral.