Volunteer With Lacuna Loft

volunteer with Lacuna Loft

This week we’re talking about various ways you can get involved at Cactus Cancer Society (formerly Lacuna Loft)!  We provide all of our programs free of charge to young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

Wanting a slightly more involved way you can help?  Volunteer with Cactus Cancer Society!  There are so many different ways you can get involved and so many different roles you can play!

We need YOU!

There are several ways to become more involved with Cactus Cancer Society and all the support and resources we provide to young adult cancer survivors and caregivers.

1. Write with the Young Adult Voices blog.
2. Create by leading one of our Creative Workshops. Share a craft or DIY activity that you enjoy, with 10-12 young adult cancer survivors.
3. Lead a book club discussion via video chat.
4. Outreach through social media on behalf of Cactus Cancer Society.
5. Fundraise! Host a game night, hold a raffle, participate in an athletic event and raise money for Lacuna Loft along the way.
6. Make your own volunteer adventure! Have a skill that you could offer Cancer Society? Let us know!

Please know that all of these options include help and guidance (if necessary) from Cactus Cancer Society. We will provide you with support, supplies, and anything else you might need. For more information on each of these options, please contact info@lacunaloft.org.

Volunteer with Lacuna Loft today!

Move And Groove To Support Lacuna Loft

raising funds for lacuna loft

This week we’re talking about various ways you can get involved at Lacuna Loft!  We provide all of our programs free of charge to young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

One easy, simple way you can help?  Ask your own community to support Lacuna Loft directly through your own, personalized fundraising page!  You can sign up for a specific race, in honor of your birthday or another special occasion, or for any reason at all!

We’ll help set you up with a personalized fundraising page (similar to the one below), provide you with tips and tricks to raise funds, and if you raise more than $500 we’ll send you an exclusive Lacuna Loft tech-tee!

Fill out the form below to sign up!

 

Support Lacuna Loft on Amazon

choose lacuna loft on amazonsmile

This week we’re talking about various ways you can get involved at Lacuna Loft!  We provide all of our programs free of charge to young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

One easy, simple way you can help?  Choose Lacuna Loft as your charity of choice when you shop on Amazon, using AmazonSmile!  Whenever you shop, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Lacuna Loft!

Click the box below and it will send you straight to Amazon!

 

What Is Your Origin Story?

young adult cancer stories

Our 4th Speaker Series talk focused on Lacuna Loft’s origin story…what brought Lacuna Loft into the world and how we do what we do.  And it got me thinking…we each have our own origin story!  Mine is deeply interwoven with Lacuna Loft and I shared a piece of it in the speaker talk.

Are you a young adult cancer survivor or caregiver?  Are you ready to tell your story to help someone else who is going through what you went through?

What is your origin story?

In the middle of the night, someone out there is wondering if they are the only one who has ever gone through young adult cancer.  They are feeling alone, isolated, and wanting to feel connected to someone who understands.  You can help someone, just like you, going through young adult cancer by sharing your story.

Your story matters.

We’d love to share your origin story.  Fill out the form below and share your voice!  We’ll contact you for your origin story!

Support Lacuna Loft When You Shop For Valentine’s Day! <3

support lacuna loft on amazonsmile

Lacuna Loft runs on the love and support from our donors and our partners.

Support us when you shop for your Valentine!  Go to AmazonSmile and Amazon donates to Lacuna Loft.  Every little bit counts and you can support Lacuna Loft whenever you shop on Amazon!

If you want to donate directly, know that your gift translates directly into impact!

$15 offers a young adult journaling prompts weekly, for one month.

$25 provides one young adult with a book during our Young Adult Cancer Book Club.

$50 gives one young adult a supply box for a Creative Workshop.

$250 allows one young adult to participate in a session of our 8-week Unspoken Ink: Young Adult Cancer Creative Writing Group.

The Online Watercolor Notecards Workshop

young adult cancer creative workshop

Update:  Today we were going to tell you about the next online Creative Workshop at Lacuna Loft, a Watercolor Notecards Workshop.  But, here’s the thing.  If you’ve signed up on the interest form before (there is one below), or if you’ve taken part in a previous Creative Workshop, you are on a list of people who get notified a day ahead of time for every workshop announcement.  In the time between letting that list know about this latest workshop and today, the Watercolor Notecards Workshop filled up!  I’m so sorry if you were unable to sign up this time around.  Please sign up on the interest form below so you will also be on that list of people who are notified a little early about every workshop!

Do you like to paint? Do you like to send cards?  Are you a young adult cancer survivor or caregiver?

Welcome to Lacuna Loft’s online Cityscape Watercolor Notecards, the 9th in our #LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft series of online workshops!

This workshop is designed to teach you the basics of watercolor.  If you’ve never done this before, you’re in luck!  Aerial will go step-by-step through everything!  If you love watercolor and you’re a real pro already, no problem!  Make some cityscape watercolor notecards! Combine simple drawing with basic watercolor paint to create whimsical cards to send to your friends! No experience necessary to be creative and chat while working on one of the kind stationery!

This workshop is a 2-hour commitment and will occur via video hangout on Monday, February 12th @ 5:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm CT / 8:30 pm ET. 15 young adult cancer survivors and caregivers can join. Can’t make the dates this time? Don’t worry! We’ll offer other Creative Workshops in the coming months!

How does it work? After you sign up below, you’ll receive everything you need to participate in the Cityscape Watercolor Notecards Workshop in the mail! Yep! We’ll send you just about everything you’ll need! Then, Lacuna Loft will send you an email about a week before the workshop with information on how to join the video chat. (Just in case you’re wondering…to join the video chat you’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam). That’s it!

 

Sponsored in part by a grant from Genentech and Shire.

Click here to sign up to be notified when this program is announced by choosing it under ‘Programs you’re interested in.’ (Feel free to choose to be notified when other programs are announced too!)

Sign Up For The Online Drawing Workshop!

young adult cancer

Do you like to draw?  Are you a young adult cancer survivor or caregiver?

Welcome to Lacuna Loft’s online Drawing Workshop, the 1st and now the 8th in our #LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft series of online workshops!

This workshop is designed to teach you the basics of sketching, drawing, and shading.  If you’ve never done this before, you’re in luck!  Brett will go step-by-step through everything!  If you love drawing and you’re a real pro already, no problem!  While some of the tutorial will be more than you need, the rest of the time spent drawing and being artsy with other young adult cancer peers will be totally worth it.

If you participated in the workshop in May 2016, the content will be exactly the same so please sit this one out.  But have no fear, we’ll have creative workshops each month that you can join in the future instead!

This workshop is a 2-hour commitment and will occur via video hangout on Sunday, February 11th @ 10 am PT / noon CT / 1 pm ET. 15 young adult cancer survivors and caregivers can join. Can’t make the dates this time? Don’t worry! We’ll offer other Creative Workshops in the coming months!

How does it work? After you sign up below, you’ll receive everything you need to participate in the Drawing Workshop in the mail! Yep! We’ll send you just about everything you’ll need! Then, Lacuna Loft will send you an email about a week before the workshop with information on how to join the video chat. (Just in case you’re wondering…to join the video chat you’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam). That’s it!

 

Sponsored in part by a grant from Genentech and Shire.

Click here to sign up to be notified when this program is announced by choosing it under ‘Programs you’re interested in.’ (Feel free to choose to be notified when other programs are announced too!)

Speaker Series Talk: Cancer In The Workplace Research – Robyn

cancer in the workplace

A few months ago we launched our newest program here at Lacuna Loft, the Speaker Series!  Our 5th Speaker Series Talk is now live!  You can now watch Robyn talk about her Cancer in the Workplace Research.

Robyn was a delight to talk to.  She says, “I became interested in research, especially when I heard that 33% of working age cancer survivors were exiting the workforce within 5 years of their diagnosis.”  Learn more in her video!

After my diagnosis with breast cancer, I was startled to hear that although 90% of working aged cancer survivors return to work, 33% of working aged cancer exit the workforce within 5 years of their diagnosis. I spent time reflecting on my experience and my personal decision to leave my current employer and embark upon a new career and wanted to find out more. I found in my personal experience that there was an expectation that after my last day of radiation I would be back to 100% which was not the case. I also found that, after putting up the biggest fight of my life, the garbage in my workplace was illuminated and I wasn’t willing to be a part of it any longer.

As a part of my transition, I found myself going from HR Professional to HR Instructor and now have the opportunity to research why working aged cancer survivors are leaving the workforce and also capture those who are still in the workforce but in different positions. I am uncovering why people are leaving or changing jobs (often to their detriment) and what employers can do to keep employees impacted by cancer in the workforce. My ultimate goal is to help employers understand the challenges cancer patients face and that recovery is not instantaneous and make the experiences of others who are transitioning back to work a little brighter.

Psst…want to submit a topic for a future Speaker Series?  You can do so here!

Sign Up For A Bullet Journal Workshop!

young adult cancer creative workshop

Update:  The Bullet Journal Workshop is now full!

Do you enjoy crafts and spending time with other young adult cancer survivors and caregivers?  Do you like getting organized and setting goals?  You’ll love this workshop!

Lacuna Loft’s online Bullet Journal Workshop is the 7th in our #LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft series of online workshops!

Start the new year off with some creative ways to get organized while planning, journaling, and exploring fun ways to make lists. Helping your productivity, creativity, and organizational skills, it’s a planner, to do list, and diary all rolled into one. A DIY bullet journal, start from a blank journal to what will be a great, personalized tool for a fresh start in 2018!

This workshop is designed to get you started with your very own DIY Bullet Journal.  If you’ve never done this before, you’re in luck! Aerial will go step-by-step through everything!  If you love crafting and you’re a real pro already, no problem!  While some of the tutorial will be more than you need, the rest of the time spent crafting and being artsy with other young adult cancer peers will be totally worth it.

This workshop is a 2-hour commitment and will occur via video hangout on Saturday, January 13th @ 10 am PT / noon CT / 1 pm ET.  15 young adult cancer survivors and caregivers can join.  Can’t make the dates this time?  Don’t worry!  We’ll offer other Creative Workshops in the coming months!

How does it work?  After you sign up below, you’ll receive everything you need to participate in the Bullet Journal workshop in the mail!  Yep!  We’ll send you just about everything you’ll need!  Then, Lacuna Loft will send you an email about a week before the workshop with information on how to join the video chat.  (Just in case you’re wondering…to join the video chat you’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam).  That’s it!

Sponsored in part by a grant from Genentech and Shire.

Click here to sign up to be notified when this program is announced by choosing it under ‘Programs you’re interested in.’ (Feel free to choose to be notified when other programs are announced too!)

Sign Up For A Yarn Wreath Winter Workshop!

young adult cancer creative workshop

Do you enjoy easy crafts and spending time with other young adult cancer survivors and caregivers?  You’ll love this workshop!

Lacuna Loft’s online Yarn Wreath Winter Workshop is the sixth in our #LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft series of online workshops!

This workshop is designed to teach you the basics of making a yarn wreath.  If you’ve never done this before, you’re in luck! Mallory will go step-by-step through everything!  If you love crafting and you’re a real pro already, no problem!  While some of the tutorial will be more than you need, the rest of the time spent crafting and being artsy with other young adult cancer peers will be totally worth it.  In this workshop, you’ll learn an easy yarn wreath craft…unlike our other workshops, this DIY is super simple so we’ll spend most of the time hanging out and having a cozy winter evening together!

This workshop is a 2-hour commitment and will occur via video hangout on Tuesday, December 19th @ 5:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm CT / 8:30 pm ET.  15 young adult cancer survivors and caregivers can join.  Can’t make the dates this time?  Don’t worry!  We’ll offer other Creative Workshops in the coming months!

How does it work?  After you sign up below, you’ll receive everything you need to participate in the yarn wreath winter workshop in the mail!  Yep!  We’ll send you just about everything you’ll need!  Then, Lacuna Loft will send you an email about a week before the workshop with information on how to join the video chat.  (Just in case you’re wondering…to join the video chat you’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam).  That’s it!

Sponsored in part by a grant from Genentech and Shire.

Click here to sign up to be notified when this program is announced by choosing it under ‘Programs you’re interested in.’ (Feel free to choose to be notified when other programs are announced too!)

Wreath photo via ABM.