Supporting Lacuna Loft In A Crafting Night

Join Lacuna Loft for a night of fun and crafting, making monogrammed ceramic coasters led by our Chief Program Officer, Aerial Donovan.  When you can’t join a paint and sip in person, we’ll bring the fun directly to you!  Grab a friend and join other Lacuna Loft supporters online for a chance to directly support our programs for young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers while also creating fabulous monogrammed ceramic coasters.

After making your contribution toward the event we’ll send you everything you need for the event in the mail!

Join us on Monday, November 30th at 5 pm PT / 7 pm CT / 8 pm ET for a 2-hour Supporter Crafting Night.

Go here to grab your ticket today!

 

Donor Space: Welcome!

empty office setting

Hello!

Lacuna Loft is always looking for new and creative ways to connect with our program participants and supporters.  We LOVE transparency, showing off our behind-the-scenes, and bringing you into our space as much as possible.

In that spirit, welcome to a brand new blog series, The Donor Space!  Whether you’re a donor, a volunteer, a program participant, a supporter, or just generally in our corner, you are welcome here!  We’ll answer questions, show off what’s happening in our programs, bring you into our offices, mix it up with blogs and video, and generally open up the doors to our virtual space in a brand new way.

I’m excited to spend time with you here!

 

 

 

 

 

[button colour=”accent” type=”dropshadow” size=”large” link=”https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScw4HKGSbUebrxb2XcUjuhsfQi3K6EEGPUcP1I-q7YIhMrrGg/viewform?usp=sf_link” target=”_blank”]Ask A Question[/button]

[button colour=”accent” type=”dropshadow” size=”large” link=”https://cactuscancer.wpengine.com/donate/” target=”_blank”]Donate[/button]

A Community Survey!

Lacuna Loft logo

We are reaching out to ask your opinion about a potential change we’re considering for Lacuna Loft. For those who may not know, “Lacuna” is defined as a blank space, an interval, or a gap…what we interpret as a hiatus of sorts. And “Loft” just seemed like a cool place to hang out. Our founder, Mallory, wanted Lacuna Loft to be a safe place where one could come and recover while learning to thrive. Where someone would want to stay a bit, hang out, and learn to live vibrantly during their hiatus.

While we love what this stands for, there have been challenges with the name. People often confuse “Lacuna” with the city name “Laguna” and believe that the organization is a physical place or retreat (“loft”). There is also some confusion when people search for “Lacuna Loft” online as there is a real estate company in Chicago named “Lacuna Lofts.” Issues like this add a level of complication by creating the need to correct, adjust, and explain the name, rather than focus on the support Lacuna Loft provides.

That said, we are considering a name change – a rebrand – that will reinforce our purpose and strengthen our ability to grow and support the community. We would not exist today if it was not for you and your involvement with us. Before we do anything, we want to know what you think!

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey to help us learn more about your experience with Lacuna Loft and your opinions and how we can evolve in a way that will continue to provide meaningful support to you.

Your responses are voluntary and will be confidential. Responses will not be identified by individual. All responses will be compiled together and analyzed as a group. If you would like to take the survey, please do so by August 15th.

 

 

How is it August already??

I hope you’re staying safe this summer!

Mallory and I wanted to personally let you know that Lacuna Loft will be having a lighter program offering over the month of August.  We’ve got some pretty amazing things in the works and while we’ll be reaching further into the young adult cancer space, we’re very excited about getting back to you this Fall with more wonderful programs.

What do we plan on doing for the next 31 days?  Trust us, it’s not a vacation 😉 It’ll be business as usual over here as we strategically plan,  grant write, program plan, evaluate, dream, network, and talk young adult cancer survivorship to anyone who will listen! We’ll also be planning some awesome collaborative events with a few of our favorite non-profit partners that will be happening after we get back! (We’re REALLY excited about that- our lips are sealed though, so stay tuned!)

Don’t’ worry! While we’re busy behind the scenes, you’ll still be able to participate in:

  • 30 Minute Tune-Up with LCSW Jean Rowe every Thursday! This is a drop-in program, so come once or as often as you like!
  • We’ll also be hosting a Creative Art Workshop specifically for young adults facing metastatic breast cancer. We’ve only got a few spots left, so sign up soon if that’s you! 🙂
  • You can also go through our blog! It dates back all the way through March of 2014, so there’s lots to read!

In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you!  Feel free to email info@lacunaloft.org and tell us anything!  From what new Yummly recipe you’ve tried out, to who has sells the most comfortable mask, to what Pinterest fails (or wins!) you’ve been up to creating this summer! It could even be what you want to see more of at Lacuna Loft, we want to hear it all!

Have a wonderful August and we’ll see you in September! 🙂

Ask Your Friends To Give One And Get One!

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With the world in constant flux, Lacuna Loft has decided to open our virtual doors and bring as many people inside as we can!  In that spirit, we’re inviting your friends and family to a Give One, Get One Event!

So, how does it work?  Lacuna Loft runs free, online supportive programs for young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers (that’s you guys!).  Our programs are unique in the support they provide, the connections they create, and the measurable, positive patient outcomes we improve.  Our programs have been shown to improve quality of life for young adult cancer patients and survivors.

But you know what else?  They’re fun!

Now, anyone can join one of our online Give One, Get One Events, experience a program just like our courageous survivors do, and pay it forward at the same time.  For every person who takes part in an online Give One, Get One Event, they’ll support a spot in another online program for a young adult cancer survivor!

Get a spot in a fun, creative program at Lacuna Loft and Give a spot in another workshop to a young adult cancer survivor!

Would you mind sharing the word with your family and friends?  We have several Give One, Get One Events already scheduled!  Send them here to learn more and to give one and get one!

 

Black Lives Matter

Lacuna Loft has waited to offer our own words over the past week.  As an organization led by a white woman, I have spent this time listening, learning, and unlearning so much about how I was brought up, how the world actually works, and how myself and Lacuna Loft fit into that complicated puzzle.

The fact of the matter is though, that Lacuna Loft must announce where we stand, how we feel, as an organization, in this tumultuous time.

Black Lives Matter.

Our virtual doors have always been open to anyone facing cancer as a young adult.  For the past 5 years, young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers have spent time in our virtual rooms connecting with one another, validating one another’s experiences, and showing up for each other when other survivors present were at their lowest points experiencing cancer and working hard at survivorship.  In our programs, people share their words and their experiences with courage and vulnerability.  Together, we have left space for strong words and strong circumstances with grace, offering love at each point along the way.

But today, that is not enough.  Today and every day from now on, Lacuna Loft recognizes that Black Lives have been left out of conversations around health, housing, fair and just treatment with police, and more.  Lacuna Loft and I will continue to listen, seek to provide support in an anti-racist way, continue to include young adult cancer survivors of color in our conversations, and we will collectively continue to learn and unlearn.

Lacuna Loft stands with Black Lives.  Black Lives Matter.

  • Mallory Casperson, CEO + Founder

 

Lacuna Loft Is Five!

cupcakes in a row

The last 5 years have been an incredible ride.  Lacuna Loft was granted our nonprofit status 5 years ago in April…I was just about to move to California and had very little idea of what was in store for me, much less the brand new organization I was leading.  Over the last 5 years, I have had the privilege of connecting with thousands of other young adults who have faced cancer courageously and without hesitation.  We have come together in Lacuna Loft’s virtual rooms, sharing joys and sorrows, comforting one another, and lending empathic ears.  The power of our collective voices, the power of hearing that single voice who could validate our experience, is immeasurable.

Thank you for your presence.  Thank you for your love.  Thank you for your generosity with one another.

For that next young adult diagnosed with cancer, consider giving $5 for 5 years.

[button colour=”accent” type=”dropshadow” size=”large” link=”https://cactuscancer.wpengine.com/donate/” target=”_blank”]$5 for 5 years[/button]

With warmth,

Mallory

What Else Are We All Missing?

camel in the desert

Hello!  Lacuna Loft has always lived in the online realm of program delivery and more and more organizations are moving their in-person programs online too.  The times we are experiencing are crazy and chaotic and intense…and here at Lacuna Loft, we think that having as many opportunities as possible to get the resources and support you deserve, the better.

With that said, what are we missing?  What type of program have you been craving but you just can’t find it anywhere?

Looking For Support And Medical Information Through COVID-19?

stack of papers

Over the last month, a group of patient advocacy organizations, patient experts, and healthcare professionals have come together with the mission to share COVID-19 related resources and information for adolescents and young adult cancer patients, survivors, and healthcare professionals who work with this unique population.  Finding credible resources and information for adolescent and young adult cancer patients and survivors during the COVID-19 crisis can be difficult.  There is just so much out there right now!

The website this coalition developed now provides a listing of resources and programs that are provided by leading patient advocacy groups specializing in adolescents and young adults affected by cancer.

If you’re looking for programs available during the social distancing happening during COVID or if you’re looking for information specific to your diagnosis or treatment (or the diagnosis/treatment of your patients), look no further than covidayacancer.org!

If you know of programs that aren’t on the list, let us know!  The site will be continually updated both on the patient resources side and the provider resources side.  Life is changing day by day and the patient and provider resources and support are changing too.  We are all stronger together and this coalition is there for you the entire way!

A Gabfest? Join Us For A Gabfest!

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Elephants and Tea and Lacuna Loft are partnering together on a week-long, online conference…

YA Cancer Gabfest: A Week of Interactive Survivorship Crash Courses for Facing Cancer.  Come spill tea with us no matter where you are!

Throughout the week of December 7th, we’ll offer opportunities to connect with other young adults facing cancer in webinars, hangouts, interactive sessions, chances for movement, and more. We are busy behind the scenes getting everything squared away but in the meantime, we want to hear from you!

Please fill out this quick survey and let us know what sorts of courses, discussions, topics, you name it, you want to have!