1. Advocates can help coordinate community services.
   • A small non-profit created a peer-to-peer program for newly diagnosed patients to match them with a patient who is out of treatment just to help coordinate services.
2. Advocates can empower patients by giving them a list of questions to ask their doctors or tips to help them through treatment.
   • Many of these doctor question lists are available from well-known institutions and serve as a starting point for patient doctor discussions.
3. Advocates can give patients a list of resources in the community for support and information.
   • One group created a resource guide for their community and then found a printer that would print it for free.
4. Advocates can facilitate a peer support group.
   • One young woman started a support group in her church that has been very successful.
5. Advocates can provide inspirational messages in the form or quotes, poems, songs and stories.
   • Several women have combined their stories into a book to encourage others.
6. Advocates can help children of parents affected by cancer.
   • One young man whose mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer formed a support group for their children.

Advocates often act as the face of cancer. They tell their stories, which encourages people to donate to their cause.

• They encourage their friends and colleagues to donate or get involved in an event or fundraising project.
• They inform funders and the community about the difference their contributions can make.
• They also help to decide where the fundraising dollars should go and to ensure that the agency doing the fundraising is being financially prudent.

Why is it important?

An advocate who has asked their family, friends and co-workers to participate in fundraising is going to help insure those dollars are well spent.

Advocates who are passionate about a cause will have more energy and enthusiasm and will go the extra mile to ensure the event is successful.

Examples of how community outreach advocates can help with regard to fundraising:

• A local non-profit that assists cancer patients with housing, food and transportation is funded by a thrift store.
  • A support group does annual clothing drives to gather items for the thrift store.
• National fundraising events help fund local programs.
  • Several patient support groups form teams to raise funds for these events.
• A power-of-10 fundraiser:
  • A support group organized a power-of-10 email program that asked everyone to contribute a small amount and then ask 10 others to do the same.
• Cookbook sales:
  • A community outreach advocate asked members of her community to submit their favorite ethnic recipe, and then put together a cookbook that was sold to raise funds to help members of their community.

 

• Advocates can advocate for polices that will help their communities with issues that are specific to that community.
  • Currently many advocates are educating their legislators about the issue of oral chemotherapy and infusion therapy and how insurance company pay or do not pay for this type of treatment.
• Advocates in some states have gotten their states to allow cancer license plates and the proceeds are used to fund underserved patient populations.
  • Some license plates are specific for breast cancer, others are for all cancers.
• Advocates all over the country continue to encourage the federal government to continue to fund the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.
  • There is a push to keep this program in place until alternative insurance coverage is available.