Community is stronger than cancer.®
 

About Us

Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley (CSCGLV)

The Cancer Support Community’s programs help people affected by cancer – survivors, caregivers, friends and family – regain control of their lives, reduce stress and isolation, and restore a sense of hope for a better quality of life regardless of the stage of the disease or the type of cancer.

Today, hundreds of people with cancer and their loved ones unite through our programs. People can come at the point of diagnosis, during or at the end of treatment, at recurrence, or several years out of treatment.

What’s special about the Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley?

  • We are the most experienced organization offering social, emotional and psychological support in the Lehigh Valley.
  • All programs are free to participants who may take as many as they like.
  • All participants can browse our resource library; surf the internet for cancer information, the Virtual Cancer Support Community and Group Loop websites, or just stop in to have a snack with friends.
  • We are a non-profit, and we rely completely on donations. The money we raise stays in the Greater Lehigh Valley.

We have effectively helped people cope with cancer for 37 years.

Today, hundreds of people with cancer and their loved ones unite through our support groups, stress-management sessions, educational programs, exercise sessions, nutrition workshops, and social events. People can come at the point of diagnosis, during or at the end of treatment, at recurrence, or several years out of treatment. They all come to learn they are not alone in their fight for recovery, they regain a sense of control over their lives, and ultimately discover that hope is a valuable tool on the road to wellness.

Our Mission

The Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley uplifts and strengthens people impacted by cancer by providing support, fostering compassionate communities, and breaking down barriers to care.

Our Philosophy

“Cancer patients who participate in their fight for recovery, along with their healthcare team, will improve the quality of their lives and may enhance the possibility of their recovery.”

Our Vision

To ensure that everyone impacted by cancer receives the support they want and need throughout their experience.

Our Beliefs

  • Many, many people recover from cancer.
  • Cancer patients can benefit from sharing experiences and support with others, and need not be alone.
  • Cancer patients can participate in their recovery along with their healthcare team.
  • Family members and friends of an individual with cancer, including children, can also benefit from information and support.
  • By reducing isolation, managing stress, and having hope, cancer patients can enhance the quality of their lives, positively affect their immune system, and gain strength in the fight for recovery.

“Combining the will of the patient with the skill of the physician – a powerful combination in the fight against the common enemy – cancer!”

– Harold Benjamin, PhD, Founder of The Wellness Community

In 1982, Harold Benjamin, Ph.D. founded The Wellness Community (TWC) in California. At the center of TWC’s program philosophy was Dr. Benjamin’s Patient Active© Concept – “People with cancer who participate in their fight for recovery will improve the quality of their lives and may enhance the possibility of their recovery.” In 2009, TWC joined forces with Gilda’s Club Worldwide, and the whole organization was renamed the Cancer Support Community.

The Wellness Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley was founded locally in 2004, becoming the only organization of its kind in our region. When TWC and Gilda’s merged in 2009, our name changed to the Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley (CSCGLV). Although we are an affiliate of a global network, CSCGLV is an independent nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors, and all funds raised stay local to serve residents in the Pennsylvania Counties of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, and Northampton Counties, and Warren County, New Jersey. The benefit of the wider association is access to clinical trials of the headquarters’ Research and Training Institute as well as shared best practices with 55 fellow chapters.

The hallmarks of Dr. Benjamin’s philosophy remain today. People who see themselves as “Patient Active” become part of the fight for recovery along with his/her health care team. Being “Patient Active” is about feeling and acting empowered. People participate in the choices made about their treatment that can improve their quality of life, and perhaps enhance the possibility of recovery. This belief still drives our grassroots affiliate to continue providing the finest free quality professional emotional and social support in a homelike setting of help and healing.