CANCER SUPPORT
The New Life Cancer Support Team meets at 7:00 PM on the 3rd Monday night of each month in the fellowship hall of New Life Baptist Church.
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PURPOSE OF THIS SUPPORT TEAM
For many human problems, there are no easy answers or easy cures. Even after the best professional help has been obtained, a person might be left with difficulties too great to handle alone. In this situation, millions of people have found much needed personal support in mutual help groups. It is in these groups, whose members share common concerns, they are offered an important aid to recovery, understanding and the help of others who have gone through similar experiences.
WHAT IS MUTUAL SUPPORT?
Mutual help has been a mainstay of life for as long as families have existed. As social beings, all of us need to be accepted, cared for, and emotionally supported. We also find it satisfying to care for and support those around us with the most natural mutual-support network which is made up of our families and friends. We establish the one-to-one contact so important to our well-being.
The supportive relationships we establish with family and friends, however, constitute only some of the interpersonal networks that help sustain us through life. We tend to associate with others who have similar interests and beliefs. Members benefit from our shared identity and a sense of common purpose. Through combined efforts, the team can often promote or accomplish what the individual cannot. Each member’s presence and participation adds to the strength of the group.
WHY THE NEED FOR MUTUAL SUPPORT?
The 21st century has produced social changes which affect our traditional patterns of support. Living in a highly mobile society, we might not enjoy the benefits of a permanent community. Families who were once close, are now separated by distance. The emotional and practical support they gave is no longer available and might not be forthcoming from neighbors and friends.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SUPPORT?
The underlying purpose: to provide emotional support and practical help in dealing with a problem common to all members. There is a special bond among people who share the same troubling experience; it begins when one person says to another, “I know just how you feel.” Knowing that someone else truly understands one’s feelings by virtue of having “been there” brings a sense of relief; one’s pain is no longer a burden borne alone. The support group provides and atmosphere of acceptance that encourages members to share their sorrows, fears, and frustrations. They can then begin to view their problems more objectively, and find more effective coping strategies.
The important thing to realize is that this support team is here for you, and can reassure you that you are not alone. There are others who understand what you are going through and are eager to share their experience and support with you.