Dear Friends,
This is the time of the year when I ask myself what impact Healing Journeys has had in the past year, and what we should plan for next year. Our programs for 2011 have just finished. We offered three Cancer-Fighting Kitchen workshops, and a one-day version of our Cancer as a Turning Point, From Surviving to Thriving™ conference, serving a total of just over 1,000 people.
Did we make a difference? Can a one- day program have an impact on people’s lives? The feedback from attendees says the answer to both questions is a resounding YES. Here is a representative quote from each program:
From Cancer as a Turning Point:
Well paced, very informative. Brought my spirits up. Inspiring and motivating. A wonderful celebration of life and making integrative health operational. Reinforced my values and belief system in a supportive environment. Nourished my body and soul. Empowered me in my social work practice.
From Cancer-Fighting Kitchen:
You have been so successful in creating a sharing environment and pool of knowledge for those who want to thrive! So inspiring!
I have heard the words “you have cancer” a number of times since my first diagnosis in 1989. I attribute the healing I have experienced in the past 22 years not only to my “treatments,” but also to the many things I have done to nurture my body, mind, and my spirit, and to create harmony and balance in my life. The Healing Journeys’ programs are grounded in my experience of what truly makes a difference.
There is still an emphasis in the “cancer world” on looking for a cure and developing new drugs to treat cancer. While we are waiting for that “cure,” there is so much we can do to improve the quality (and perhaps the quantity) of our lives. There are tools we can use and lifestyle changes we can make that help to activate our inner healers. The Healing Journeys’ vision is that EVERYONE touched by cancer or any life-altering condition be empowered to move from surviving to thriving.
Our Cancer-Fighting Kitchen is the best program I know of to help you nurture your body and strengthen your natural resistance to cancer. The Cancer as a Turning Point™ conference provides education and also presents options for nurturing the mind and the spirit. Some of the most potent tools for me have been guided imagery, humor, music, and connecting with others. Even though these are high on the list of what nurtures my spirit, I seem to need frequent reminders to use them consciously.
For many people, our Cancer as a Turning Point conference was their first exposure to, and experience of, the importance of nurturing the whole person (body, mind, and spirit) as part of their healing journeys. It feels vital to continue offering this experience to as many people as we can.
In 2012 we would like to offer three Cancer-Fighting Kitchen workshops and two Cancer as a Turning Point™ conferences, one in Spartanburg, SC and one in Sacramento, CA.
To make these programs available to everyone, our commitment is to offer the conferences at no charge and the workshops at a low fee with scholarships available. Our cost for two conferences is about $180,000. We need $10,000 in addition to fees collected for each of the three Cancer-Fighting Kitchen workshops. That adds up to a total of $210,000 to offer what feels like a minimum in 2012. We would love to do even more if the funding is available.
About 50% of our funding comes from individual donations, and we depend on it. I am so grateful for your generous support in the past and am counting on your continued support. Please help us make an impact in the lives of those touched by cancer or any life-altering illness in 2012 by contributing generously to Healing Journeys. Thank you!
Click here to make a Safe & Secure, Tax-Deductible contribution online, or for the Mail/Fax form, or to donate by phone.
In the spirit of healing,
Jan Adrian, MSW
Founder and Program Director