Support Groups and Community Resources

Please note: Due to COVID-19, many support groups are still meeting via Zoom or participants may have the option to meet in person or by Zoom. Group meetings are outlined below but if you have questions about what is available, please contact our Wilmot Community Resource Help Line at (585) 276-4708 or email WilmotCommunityResHelp@urmc.rochester.edu.

Support groups provide opportunities to connect with others who are facing cancer and to share experiences, ideas and support with each other. Through Wilmot Cancer Institute, support groups are available for many different specific conditions. These programs are free and open to the public.

To learn more or register, call (585) 276-4708 or email WilmotCommunityResHelp@urmc.rochester.edu. 

• Adult Brain Tumor Network: For those with a diagnosis of a primary brain tumor and their caregivers. 
• Bereavement Group: For anyone who has lost a loved one who had care at Wilmot or through the palliative care program. 
• Family, Friends & Caregiver Group: For those who care about and/or for a person with cancer. 
• Gastro-Intestinal Cancer Support Group: For those with pancreatic, colorectal, liver, esophageal, stomach and other GI cancers and their care partner. 
• Lynch Syndrome Support Group: For those who have Lynch syndrome (a genetic predisposition to cancer) or their family members. 
• Melanoma/Skin Cancer Support Group: For those with melanoma or skin cancer and their care partners. 
• Support for People with Oral, Head & Neck Cancer (SPOHNC-Rochester): For those with oral, head and neck cancers and their caregivers. 
• Young Adult Leukemia Forum Support Group: For Wilmot Cancer Institute patients ages 19 to 39 with a diagnosis of leukemia.
• Deaf and Heard of Hearing Caregiver Support Group: For those who are deaf or hard of hearing and caring for a person with cancer.
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Grief Support Group: For those who are deaf or hard of hearing and have lost a loved one who had care at Strong Memorial Hospital. 
• Young Adult Cancer Support Group: Designed for cancer patients with any diagnosis between the ages of 20-40 years.

Connection to Community Resources

A cancer diagnosis can have a major impact on your life and the lives of your family members and loved ones. A variety of free or low-cost community resources are available throughout upstate New York to help support you and your family. In addition to the programs and services Wilmot provides, we can help connect you with:

• Local and national organizations focused on your special needs.
• Specialized support groups and programs in your area.
• Educational resources for you and your loved ones.
• Information on short-term lodging.

The Wilmot Community Cancer Action Council (CCAC) has put together an online resource that outlines a variety of services available in the 27 counties around Rochester, and beyond. View the map. 

To learn more about community resources in your area, please call (585) 276-4708 or email WilmotCommunityResHelp@urmc.rochester.edu.

Peer Cancer Support Programs

Find support by connecting with other people who are coping with similar concerns and issues related to cancer. The organizations listed below offer peer connection and mentoring programs for cancer patients and caregivers.

All Cancer Types

• American Cancer Society: Cancer network connection survivors/caregivers 
• Cancer Care: A variety of online support groups for survivors/caregivers
• Cancer Hope Network: Provides one-on-one support to people undergoing treatment for cancer and to their families through training individuals who have recovered from cancer and matching them with cancer patients currently undergoing a similar experience.
• 4th Angel: Matches patients and caregivers with trained volunteer mentors.
• Friend 4 Life: Helps people diagnosed with cancer and their loved ones navigate the path through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery by pairing them with a trained survivor of a similar experience so they can face cancer with someone who’s been there.
• Hope For Two: The Pregnant with Cancer Network: Offers free support for women diagnosed with cancer. Connects women who are currently pregnant with cancer with other women who have experienced a similar cancer diagnosis.
• Imerman Angels: Provides comfort and understanding for all cancer fighters, survivors, pre-survivors and caregivers through a personalized, one-on-one
• MD Anderson My Cancer Connection: A cancer support community that offers free, one-on-one support. Open to patients, caregivers and survivors regardless of where they receive treatment.
• Stupid Cancer: Helps empower everyone affected by adolescent and young adult cancer (ages 18 – 39 years of any diagnosis) by ending isolation and building community. Stupid cancer offers a lifeline to the adolescent and young adult cancer community by providing age-appropriate resources to help navigate treatment and survivorship on your own terms.

 

Local Peer Support Programs

• Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester: Offering PALS (Peer Advocates Lending Support), a peer mentoring program for breast and gynecologic cancer survivors to reach out to those who are new to the disease, providing the reassurance of one-to-one contact with someone who’s “been there” empowering them to connect with needed resources, and instilling confidence during a difficult time. The group also offers several discussion groups throughout the month that serve both breast and gynecologic cancer survivors.
• C.U.R.E. Childhood Cancer Association: Focuses solely on addressing the social, emotional, financial, and educational needs of families whose children have been diagnosed with cancer or chronic blood disorders.

 

Bladder Cancer  

• Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network Survivor to Survivor Program: Survivor 2 Survivor (S2S) program connects newly diagnosed bladder cancer patients and caregivers with survivors and co-survivors who have gone through similar experiences.

 

Blood Cancer (Leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, MDS)

• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program: Introduces patients and their loved ones to a trained volunteer who has gone through a similar experience and learned how to manage the same disease you’re trying to cope with each day. 
• BMT Infonet: More than 1,000 transplant survivors and family caregivers have volunteered to provide support to others facing a bone marrow transplant.

 

Brain Tumors

• American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA): Supportive care line staff, patient and caregiver mentor support, and an online support community.
• National Brain Tumor Society: Brain Tumor Support Conversations is an online support group run by the brain tumor community for the brain tumor community. This group is attended and run by patients and care partners who have had firsthand experience with the challenges and effects of a brain tumor diagnosis.

 

Breast Cancer

• ACS Research to Recovery: As breast cancer survivors, our volunteers give patients an opportunity to express feelings, talk about concerns, and ask questions of someone who has been there. Most importantly, Reach to Recovery volunteers offer understanding, support, and hope because they themselves have survived breast cancer. 
• After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD): Be matched with a professionally trained mentor/breast cancer survivor who not only shares a similar diagnosis and treatment, but whose age, life stage and interests closely align with yours.
• Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester: Offering PALS (Peer Advocates Lending Support), a peer mentoring program for breast and gynecologic cancer survivors to reach out to those who are new to the disease, providing the reassurance of one-to-one contact with someone who’s “been there” empowering them to connect with needed resources, and instilling confidence during a difficult time. The group also offers several discussion groups throughout the month that serve both breast and gynecologic cancer survivors.
• Young Survival Coalition Peer Mentoring: This program helps young adults facing breast cancer find the support, wisdom and understanding that only a fellow survivor can provide.
• Sharsheret Peer Support Network (BRCA+): The Peer Support Network connects women newly diagnosed or at high risk of developing breast cancer one-on-one with others who share similar diagnoses and experiences.

• Pink Lotus Breast Buddies: A free mentorship program that matches newly diagnosed breast cancer patients from all over the world with breast cancer survivors of similar age, cancer stage, treatments chosen, language, location, and more. 

 

Colorectal Cancer

• Colorectal Cancer Alliance Buddy Program: Certified patient and family support navigators are available to connect you with a vetted buddy who has been through a similar diagnosis to offer meaningful and useful advice that helped them get through colorectal cancer.

 

Lung Cancer

• Go2 Foundation for Lung Cancer Phone Buddy Program: Phone Buddy program helps connect you with lung cancer survivors who have walked in your shoes and want to give back by being there for you as you navigate the lung diagnosis and treatment.
• Lungevity LifeLine Support Partners: Offers one-on-one support by matching patients and caregivers to mentors who have similar experiences.

 

Melanoma

• AIM at Melanoma Foundation Peer Connect Program: Peer Connect is a free service provided by AIM at Melanoma Foundation that matches melanoma survivors and caregivers with other survivors and caregivers in need of peer support.

 

Oral, Head & Neck Cancer

• SPOHNC - Support for People with Oral, Head & Neck Cancer: National Survivor Volunteer Network. Pairs volunteers who have gone through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery with patients or family members who are just beginning their journey, or now recovering from side effects of cancer or its treatment.

 

Ovarian Cancer

• Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester: Offering PALS (Peer Advocates Lending Support), a peer mentoring program for breast and gynecologic cancer survivors to reach out to those who are new to the disease, providing the reassurance of one-to-one contact with someone who’s “been there” empowering them to connect with needed resources, and instilling confidence during a difficult time. The group also offers several discussion groups throughout the month that serve both breast and gynecologic cancer survivors.
• Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance Woman to Woman (W2W) Program: A program that pairs gynecologic cancer patients with trained Volunteer Mentors who provide one-on-one emotional support and mentoring.
• Sharsheret Peer Support Network (BRCA+): The Peer Support Network connects women newly diagnosed or at high risk of developing ovarian cancer one-on-one with others who share similar diagnoses and experiences.

 

Pancreatic Cancer

• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network PanCan Survivor/Caregiver Network: Made up of volunteers throughout the country who are available to communicate one-on-one with those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, their loved ones or anyone looking to connect with someone who has experienced pancreatic cancer.

 

Prostate Cancer

• ZeroCancer MENtor Program: A peer-to-peer support program for men with prostate cancer.

 

Testicular Cancer

• Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation: One-on-one navigation and support programs.

 

Thyroid Cancer

• ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc.: A support network of thyroid cancer survivors who support the emotional and psychological needs of people with thyroid cancer, as well as their families and caregivers.