YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga has been selected to participate in the LIVESTRONG Foundation Community Impact Project, an online voting campaign that runs until 5 p.m. CST on Thursday, March 28, at Vote.LIVESTRONG.org. 

The LIVESTRONG Foundation Community Impact Project will provide financial awards totaling $1.3 million to organizations seeking to replicate and implement programs that have demonstrated success in improving the lives of people affected by cancer.

YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga will receive funding to implement LIVESTRONG at the YMCA and will have an opportunity to secure additional funding through online voting. LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a research-based program that offers people affected by cancer a safe, supportive environment to participate in physical and social activities focused on strengthening the whole person.

“We are thrilled and honored to participate in the LIVESTRONG Foundation’s Community Impact Project,” said Janet Dunn, CEO/president of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga. “We share their passion for inspiring and empowering people affected by cancer and look forward to working together to make a difference in the lives of cancer survivors and their families. Our Y will use this funding to provide a supportive environment for our neighbors, friends and families who are living with the effects of cancer.”

Ys chosen to implement LIVESTRONG at the YMCA will receive $3,500 to support program implementation. They will also receive tools, training, coaching and support from YMCA of the USA and “mentor” YMCAs that have prior experience successfully implementing the program. The Ys receiving the most votes in the online voting campaign will also receive additional funding to use toward program expenses.

The financial awards provided by the 2012 LIVESTRONG Community Impact Project are currently being implemented at nearly 100 sites including hospitals, cancer centers, universities, and community-based organizations across the nation and will provide support to thousands of people affected by cancer upon completion. The LIVESTRONG Foundation is committed to supporting community organizations in their efforts to help cancer survivors face the challenges and changes that come with cancer and has invested more than $80 million in community-centered organizations.

The programs chosen for replication in 2013 are:

·         LIVESTRONG at the YMCA:  LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a research-based program that offers people affected by cancer a safe, supportive environment to participate in physical and social activities focused on strengthening the whole person. Participants work with Y staff trained in supportive cancer care to achieve their goals such as building muscle mass and strength; increasing flexibility and endurance; improving confidence and self-esteem; and ultimately practicing a healthy lifestyle, not only as part of their recovery, but as a way of life.

·         Advanced Certification for Palliative Care:  The Joint Commission’s Advanced Certification for Palliative Care is designed to set standards and acknowledge hospitals providing state-of-the-art palliative care services that relieve symptoms and stress of serious illness and improve quality of life for patients. The Center to Advance Palliative Care will provide tools and training to 20 hospitals and cancer centers across the country to assist in their efforts to qualify for the Certification.

·         Camp Kesem: Camp Kesem is a university-based summer camp where college students fundraise and host camps, free of charge, for children with a parent who has, or has had cancer. The program began at Stanford University in 2001 with 37 children affected by cancer attending. Camp Kesem has since grown through replication to 41 additional universities hosting camps from Los Angeles to Boston, serving over 1,200 children a year. This program is ideal for student government organizations and service oriented student-led organizations.

·         The Creative Center at University Settlement Artist-in-Residence Program:  Since its inception in 1994, The Creative Center has been dedicated to bringing the arts to people with cancer and chronic illness through all stages of life as a way to help them discover their own creative resources while meeting the challenges of diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. The Artist-in-Residence program helps cancer survivors deal with the stresses of treatment through artistic expression. The program will work bedside and in small group settings with men, women and children – in oncology units, bone marrow transplant units, intensive care/respiratory units, hospice and palliative care programs.

For more information about the LIVESTRONG Foundation’s Community Impact Project, and to vote, visit Vote.LIVESTRONG.org. For more information about YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga , visit www.ymcachattanooga.org .