How
much does it cost for services at the Cancer Support
Centers?
A:
All programs of
the Centers are provided FREE of charge to families
affected by cancer.
Q:
How
are the services funded?
A:
The Cancer Support Centers are funded
entirely through the generous contributions of individuals
and businesses. We receive no ongoing state or federal
funding. We are NOT part of any national organization,
such as American Cancer Society, or United Way.
Q:
How
many people are in each support group?
A:
There are typically 8 to 12 people
in each support group.
Q:
How
long do the support groups last?
A:
Groups usually run for 12-week sessions.
At the end of 12 weeks some individuals continue with
the group and some may choose to "graduate,"
meaning they are ready to leave the group setting. They
still are eligible to participate in all programs at
the Center.
Q:
What
is a personal planning session?
A:
After attending a Welcome Session,
individuals new to the Center will most likely make
an appointment for a personal planning session (PPS).
During the personal planning session, they will meet
individually with a therapist to determine which services
would be most beneficial to them.
Q:
Who
is eligible to receive services at the Center?
A:
Anyone diagnosed with cancer,
their families and their friends, or anyone who has
lost someone to cancer. Services are open to ALL ages.
Q:
In
order to receive services, must I make a 12-week commitment?
A:
No. Networking groups meet on a monthly
basis to provide opportunities to share information
and experiences. Networking groups operate on a drop-in
basis. We have networking groups for breast cancer,
leukemia, ovarian cancer, and Multiple Myeloma. Several
other services such as wellness/exercise programs, relaxation
and visualization also are available for drop-ins. Some
services, such as massage therapy, require an appointment.
Some special speakers, retreats or programs require
registration, so check the calendar for those requirements.
You can see the calendar by
clicking here.
Q:
I
don’t live in Homewood. May I still utilize the
Center’s services?
A:
Yes. The Cancer Support Centers
provide free services to the entire Chicago Southland
community as well as Northwest Indiana. We have two
locations: Homewood and Mokena. Click
here for more information about the two centers.
We would be happy to help you. In addition, there
are other centers throughout the Chicago metropolitan
area that also offer cancer support services.
What
is the history of The Cancer Support Center in
Mokena?
A:
2007
Grand Opening of The Cancer Support Center in
Mokena was a success!
The Cancer Support Center
family hosted a ribbon-cutting and open house
Friday, Feb. 2, 2007, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 19250
Everett Lane in Mokena to celebrate the first
satellite of the Jennifer S. Fallick Cancer
Support Center. Stop by to see our new space
and hear all about our programs and services
now being offered in Mokena. Please call (708)
798-9171 or (708) 478-3529.
Directions:
From I-80, exit South on LaGrange Road to west/right
on 191st Street to first left/south on Everett
Lane. Go past Great Lakes Bank, Mr. Benny's,
and you'll see an office building on the west/right
side of the street. Our address is 19250 Everett
Lane. We're on the first floor.
From The Center's Winter
2006 newsletter: Opening a New Door of Support
in Mokena
“It will only be 5
minutes from my home,” said Cindi Simpson,
a Mokena resident and a two-year breast cancer
survivor. She and her children have used our
services, and they are thrilled with the news
of the Center’s sattelite location opening
nearby. She spoke about how this expansion of
our services will benefit her family and others.
“Unfortunately, the need for a cancer
support center is growing by leaps and bounds.
My children and I have fully used services in
Homewood. With the hectic schedules of children
today, driving additional lengths can add more
stress to an already unmanageable schedule.
Women like me, who juggle raising their kids
while going through treatment, don’t have
additional time to spend sitting in traffic.
A Mokena facility will have greater accessibility:
more families will be able to participate in
programs and use the Center’s resources.
The Southwest area greatly needs this facility.
Mokena and the surrounding areas are booming
with growth – more families will be moving
in as more schools are built. A higher population
will unfortunately mean a larger number of people
needing these services. It is nice to know the
Cancer Support Center will be available to those
in need. I look forward to having this Center
close so that we can fully utilize it.”
As a community partner, Ingalls
Health System has provided a generous donation
to help us realize this dream. Seeing the Center
as an extension of the services available to
cancer survivors and their families, Ingalls
is demonstrating their commitment to the work
that we do. In an effort to provide the full
continuum of care to its patients, Ingalls will
have a nurse available in this new site to provide
cancer screenings and education.
Later this month, we will open a second home
in southwest suburban Mokena at 19250 Everett
Lane. Our new space, shown above, is on the
ground floor of this building. The staff and
Board of Directors for the Center are excited
to announce the opportunity to provide our free
counseling and wellness programs in a new space
devoted to our work. The idea to open a second
site came from feedback received through surveys
from our participants over the last few years.
While people responded that they would be willing
to travel as much as 30 miles or 40 minutes
to receive our services, the majority of people
we serve can only realistically drive 15 to
20 minutes from home without adding undo stress
to an already challenging cancer experience.
This does NOT mean we are leaving Homewood.
We have been dedicated to Homewood for more
than 14 years and have no desire to leave. The
community support we receive makes our free
services possible. By adding a second location,
we feel that we can reach survivors and their
families in other communities who do not have
immediate access to the programs we offer.
In addition to providing closer services to
our current participants, we hope that with
outreach efforts we can be a new source of healing
and support to families who don’t know
about our Center. We will be looking for community
support through new volunteers and the support
of local businesses to help us offer our free
services. It has been the efforts of thousands
of people and the resources of millions of dollars
to offer the level of care we provide in Homewood
– and it has taken more than 14 years
to get where we are today. We know that this
is a formative time for us in Mokena, but we
are full of hope about the good work we can
do for people with cancer and their families.
Community
Links
Thank you to the following
community partners who link to our web site andor
provide information about our services. If you'd
like to link to our web site, your organization
may be included in this section. For more information,
email
Susan here.
Who
was Jennifer S. Fallick, and what was her relationship
to The Cancer Support Center?
A:
COMMUNITY
LEADER, TCANCER SUPPORT CENTER FOUNDER IS NAMESAKE
OF HOMEWOOD SITE
Jennifer
Fallick, co-founder and executive director of
the Jennifer S. Fallick Cancer Support Center,
passed away on Wednesday, May 12, 2004, at her
home in Homewood after battling pancreatic cancer.
Fallick is survived by her two daughters.
Very
active in church, local theater, and a wide
variety of other community activities, most
people will remember Jenny as one of the driving
forces behind the Cancer Support Center in Homewood,
a nonprofit organization that offers free programs
that focus on the social, emotional, physical
and spiritual needs of individuals with cancer
and their loved ones. The Center, founded in
1994, serves more than 70 communities in the
Chicago Southland and Northwest Indiana area.
Fallick
was one of the original founders whose vision
built and guided the Cancer Support Center.
Jenny struggled with her own personal experience
as her husband, Steve Fallick, fought cancer
and ultimately lost his battle at age 37. Jenny
knew firsthand how devastating it can be for
both the person with cancer as well as their
family and friends. Jenny chose to make something
good come of her experience. Her life's mission
became to provide a place for people to find
support, information, strength and hope.
Jenny's
passion for the value of human connection will
continue to be a driving force of the Cancer
Support Center, which currently serves more
than 250 people each week. She taught everyone
who came in contact with her the true meaning
of giving, and the wonderful rewards that result
from reaching out to someone in need. Even through
her adversity, Jenny managed to find the energy
to be actively involved in the Center this year.
It was her greatest hope that we celebrate the
Cancer Support Center's 10th anniversary and
continue to be here for people who are in need.
The
official rededication of the Center was Friday,
June 25, 2004, at the Center, 2028 Elm Road
in Homewood. An evening of family fun and thoughtful
rememberance was enjoyed by all. For more information,
please call the Jennifer S. Fallick Cancer Support
Center at (708) 798-9171.