Cancer Caring Center strengthens South Hills connections
Navigating the bridges and tunnels in and around Pittsburgh never has been a popular choice for area commuters, especially those who are facing life-altering circumstances.
“When we opened in 1988, the South Hills was our first outreach because we recognized that not everybody could come to Bloomfield,” Rebecca Whitlinger, executive director of the Cancer Caring Center, said about the nonprofit organization’s headquarters on Liberty Avenue. “We strive to make seeking support convenient and accessible. That’s key. We provide great services, but if people can’t access them, there’s no point.”
“All of a sudden, you’re confronted with doctors’ appointments and medical treatment side effects, and it consumes your life.”
Adding to programs already in place, the center’s latest South Hills venture is a metastatic cancer support group, meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at Mt. Lebanon United Lutheran Church, starting in September. Led by Andrea Croom, clinical scientist and clinical instructor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, the group addresses forms of cancer that travel through the blood or lymph system to other parts of the body.
The South Hills connection also has been strengthened by the addition of Peters Township resident Jennifer Kehm as development and liaison manager. She is co-founder with Lisa Edmonds of the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Foundation, a regional education and support organization.
“We actually have done a lot of work with the Cancer Caring Center because they provide amazing services, and a lot of people who are in our support groups are also served very well by them,” Kehm, a breast cancer survivor, said. “It became a good synergy, and it is good to get together in order to join forces to help the cancer community in a stronger way.”
Throughout its 30 years of operation, the center has offered emotional support, free of charge, for Western Pennsylvania residents who are battling or who have survived all types of cancer, along with their family members and caregivers.
“Even with the best prognosis, cancer is life-changing,” Whitlinger said. “All of a sudden, you’re confronted with doctors’ appointments and medical treatment side effects, and it consumes your life. And if you had issues prior to that, cancer can exacerbate them. So we just want to provide multifaceted free services, something for everybody.”
The center sponsors a total of 29 support groups each month at various sites besides its main location, including two at St. Clair Hospital. The South Hills Breast Cancer Support Group meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on third Tuesdays, and a general cancer-related South Hills group meets at the same time on second Thursdays.
Also, the Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship Group, led by registered nurses Deb Dongilli and Sharon Welch, is held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the UPMC Cancer Center, 2000 Oxford Drive, Bethel Park.
Beyond support groups, services offered in Bloomfield – other locations apply for some – include one-on-one or couples counseling, art therapy, Reiki, yoga, a food pantry, and exercise and nutrition classes.
A special event on the horizon is the seventh annual Wig Out, scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 18 at Tequila Cowboy, 380 North Shore Drive.
“Everybody wears a wig in solidarity for people who don’t have the option,” Whitlinger explained, and proceeds from the event benefit the center’s young adult cancer support program, led by staff member Stephanie Scoletti. Also on staff are assistant director Robin Beruh and director of counseling Wendy Myers.
“We want to make sure people are as comfortable as they can be going through the cancer journey,” Whitlinger said.
For more information, visit cancercaring.org and ywbcaf.org.