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community focus Meet Patty Williamson, a dedicated Reach to Recovery volunteer When Patty Williamson of Lafayette, Indiana, battled breast cancer in 1999 she was not alone. One source of support came from a Reach to Recovery volunteer. Reach to Recovery is an American Cancer Society program that offers breast cancer patients an opportunity to talk with a breast cancer survivor to ask questions, be encouraged, and find support.  After she finished treatment in 2003, Patty (not pictured with this article) was determined to give back. "I feel like I’ve been saved for a reason," she explained. She trained to become a Reach volunteer and took on the responsibility of being the area’s volunteer coordinator the next year.
As the volunteer coordinator, Patty organizes the Reach volunteers in her area and hosts multiple recertification trainings every two years in her own home. Last year, she traveled to Terre Haute, Indiana, to train the volunteers there as well and always makes sure that informational materials in her local American Cancer Society office are in stock. "She works tirelessly to promote the program, to keep the volunteers up to date, and to make sure anyone who needs a visit gets one in a timely manner," said Dawn Clinkenbeard, the Society’s quality of life director who works with Patty. In her trainings, Patty teaches volunteers about American Cancer Society guidelines and goals, honoring patient confidentiality, informational booklets, and other components that will prepare volunteers to help patients. "I try really hard, when I meet with the women to recertify, to constantly provide new information," explained Patty. She wants everyone to have a working knowledge of what current breast cancer patients might want to know. She also wants to find more people interested in Reach to Recovery to keep her volunteer base strong and serve patients who do not already have support. In the program, a patient is matched with a survivor who has gone through a similar experience, such as the same type of treatment or at the same age. With each patient, she strives to find the best way to support their situation. Patty’s favorite part of her work with Reach to Recovery is seeing a patient make it through their treatment and going on with his or her life to become a volunteer, whether through Reach or another program. "Until the day when there is a cure for breast cancer, we will continue to need women who are willing to offer time, energy, and compassion for those who need our presence," she said. To learn more about Reach to Recovery, visit www.cancer.org or call 1-800-ACS-2345. | |
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