Park County Cancer Alliance (PCCA) is entering its 6th year of existence. In January of 2023, PCCA successfully completed gaining our independent 501C3 status. We were formally fiscally sponsored by the Park County Community Foundation.

We now operate independently to support local rural residents diagnosed with cancer. A cancer diagnosis can cause stress physically, mentally, and financially. Our goals include raising funds to assist with the unmet needs of our cancer community by offering financial, physical, and emotional support. Financial support can range from a gas card that helps someone get to their Chemotherapy or Radiation treatments to providing financial support through monetary grants/gifts currently up to $1500. To date, PCCA has gifted $66,606 in financial grants to our local cancer residents to help ease the burden and stress caused by loss of income and added expenses. PCCA reaches out to residents of Park, Meagher, and Sweetgrass counties. We resumed post-pandemic weekly Mindful Yoga classes in July of 2022. Currently, yoga classes are on Thursdays at 9 AM at the Movement Collaborative. Teaching breath work, meditation, and gentle yoga specific to cancer patients and their loved ones helps recipients tap into their parasympathetic nervous system where restorative healing can take place. The best treatment for fatigue is movement. Letting go of worry and a busy mind offers invaluable peace. Knowing this peace is what PCCA wants to bring to our population. Ultimately healing can take place, (not necessarily curing), but healing, where one can accept or be at some level of peace on their journey. Our Emotional Support Group meets twice monthly. Led by a local licensed social worker, Kris Loomis, people wanting support and talk therapy can do so in a safe supportive environment. We have added an option for some private sessions for immediate unmet psychosocial needs that we have found occasionally arise. Our experience shows that people do feel supported and cared for in times when they most need it. PCCA helps meet the unmet needs of local cancer patients and their loved ones and is a valuable asset to this community. We make a difference again and again.

Based on the growth of Park County as well as our plans to increase our visibility and networking, we anticipate receiving a greater number of financial grant requests this year. Our need for donations is ever-present so we can continue to offer financial assistance. PCCA also has ideas for walking groups and meditation guidance.

In 2023 PCCA was able to hire an independent contractor to help us update social media posts. We were successful in expanding our visibility in the community by participating in The HOOT, Summerfest, LHC Fall Festival, and our 2nd annual Quilt Raffle. We circulate information about PCCA with our Trifold flyer and Social Media. LHC featured our organization in a recent marketing ad featuring a cancer patient who benefitted from help from the PCCA. In April of 2024, The Community Closet gifted PCCA partial funds to support our Mindful Yoga program for the next 12 months. We are hopeful and have applied for further administrative support through a grant with PCCF. PCCA hopes to increase funding for administrative needs. PCCA currently has 6 board members and is pleased to have gained 2 board members this year with previous board experience and expertise in chaplaincy and insurance.

Navigating through the cancer process is often overwhelming. PCCA hopes to ease the burden by offering tools that can help alleviate the stress and anxiety of cancer treatment and survivorship. Presently we function through six volunteers on our Board and independent contractors for programming. With additional support, we will develop and grow as an organization and ideally touch the lives of more and more people with financial grants, education, and compassion.

PCCA BOARD:
Linda Reinhart
Rie Hargraves - Secretary
Merrie Murdoch- President
Elizabeth Blavatsky - Treasurer
Glenna Bell Orman
Katherine Dunlap