Social Support Resources

• Here for the Girls – This is an organization based in Virginia offering support to women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 51. They offer both in-person and online support groups.
• Lend Them a Helping Hand App – Although people may reach out to offer help, it can be difficult to organize what’s provided to you during this difficult time. This free app can help!
• Naborforce – Care reimagined! By harnessing the strength of community, Naborforce provides on-demand light assistance and social engagement for independent older adults. Nabors can help with running errands, getting to appointments, and more.
• Unite for Her – Provides integrative and supportive therapies to help empower and restore your mind, body, and soul through their Wellness Passport Program and Empowered Living Program. Open to all genders.

• Cancer Retreat Centers – Headquartered in Richmond, this organization offers meet-ups, mindfulness practice sessions, music therapy, overnight retreats, and more.
• The Hawthorne Cancer Foundation – A 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to assisting individuals waging their battle against cancer. With the combined strength of The Hawthorne Cancer Foundation and The Hawthorne Cancer Resource Center, located at HCA’s Johnston-Willis Campus, they can provide assistance to cancer patients through financial, emotional, and material support. Offers support groups, one-on-one support, and provides a hub for more info about applying to The Pink Chair Project. 
• The Innerwork Center – Experience in-person and virtual opportunities that help you step away from daily distractions and engage in self-discovery, resilience, and deeper connections. Programs cater to all levels and include meditation, mindfulness workshops, reflective retreats, and interactive sessions led by expert facilitators. Each gathering is designed to foster transformative teachings in a welcoming environment, providing a space to seek clarity, inspiration, and reconnection to the benefits of intentional practice and community connection.

• The Smith Center for Healing and the Arts – A 501c3 nonprofit cancer center in Washington, DC, that offers integrative cancer care methods, including support groups, art therapy, gentle yoga, cancer retreats & more.

Please note: VBCF is not responsible for or affiliated with organizing these programs or events, but we provide this list as a community service to Virginians. Please contact the hosts via the links provided for more information.

• Camp Good Days – This is a 501c3 non-profit organization that runs a residential summer camp near Rochester, NY. The camp provides year-round recreational and support programs for individuals and families affected by cancer and other life challenges. All programs, including summer camping, are offered free of charge.
• Camp Māk-A-Dream – Camp Māk-A-Dream is a cost-free, medically supervised camp for individuals coping with cancer, whose mission is to empower survivors and their families to live with and beyond cancer through life-changing experiences in Montana, where they strengthen life skills, gain resilience, and develop lasting relationships.
• Camp Weiser Family Getaway from the Me-One Foundation – Me-One, Cancer-Zero aims to ease the burdens of cancer for adult patients and their loved ones through activities that inspire courage, hope, and laughter. Camp Wieser is a free, three-day retreat for adult cancer patients and their families, providing an opportunity to escape daily challenges and connect with others who understand their journey. Set in beautiful Scotts Valley, California, Camp Wieser helps families rediscover joy, laughter, and fun away from treatments and doctor visits.
• Cruising Against Cancer – Hosts cruises that set sail out of North Carolina and California. If selected, Cruising Against Cancer will provide a free vacation cruise for a cancer survivor and one guest.
• Deliver the Dream – Provides free therapeutic programs and retreats for families facing serious illnesses, crises, or disabilities, including those with children on the autism spectrum, cancer, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, epilepsy, LGBTQ+ youth, and veterans. These programs aim to strengthen family bonds and reduce stress. For families unable to attend in person, they offer virtual programs called HOPE at Home.
• Epic Experience – Offers regional meet-ups, educational programming, and hosts one-week outdoor adventures to individuals 18 years of age and older who have been diagnosed with cancer at any time in their lives. All expenses except travel are covered.
• Faces of Courage Retreat Programs – Free retreat programs for children, young adults, men, and women in the USA with any cancer at any stage, including special sessions for Women with Cancer, Teens, Women of Color, and even a Santa’s Weekend during the holidays. These programs foster a sense of community support, offer engaging activities, and are designed to help survivors thrive. All programs are available at no charge to participants.
• For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation – This program offers adult cancer patients, aged 24-55 and currently undergoing treatment, the opportunity to enjoy quality time with their families in a beautiful setting, all at no cost. While preference is given to residents of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, and Maryland, individuals from outside these states will also be considered.
• Live By Living Retreats – Live By Living offers free retreats for adult cancer survivors and their caregivers across the United States. These nature-focused retreats feature activities such as hiking and snowshoeing, tailored to suit your abilities, and offer a chance to connect with others who share your journey.
• Living Beauty Cancer Foundation Retreats – This organization offers free holistic wellness programs and community initiatives for women living with or recovering from cancer. These include retreats, yoga classes, workshops, and therapeutic sessions designed to enhance quality of life and foster support systems.
• Look Good, Feel Better – A fun, supportive virtual program available nationwide that teaches beauty techniques to women with cancer to help manage the appearance-related side effects of cancer. The program includes lessons on skin and nail care, cosmetics, wigs and turbans, accessories, and styling, and is open to all women with cancer who are undergoing treatment.
• Harmony Hill Healing Retreats – Based in Washington state, this organization offers free virtual workshops, yoga classes, mutli-week virtual meetups, and three-day cancer retreats to men and women with any type of cancer at no cost to either participants or companions, designed to foster peace and wellbeing through group sharing sessions and other activities such as gentle yoga, meditation, poetry and art.
• Reel Recovery Fly Fishing Retreat (for Men 21+) – Reel Recovery is a national non-profit organization that offers free fly fishing retreats for men aged 21 and over who are in any stage of cancer treatment, recovery, or remission. All meals, lodging, and fly fishing equipment are provided at no cost to participants. However, participants are responsible for organizing their own transportation to and from the retreat.
• True North Treks – A 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to support young adults and caregivers (usually ages 18-39) affected by cancer to “find direction through connection.” Offers free backpacking and canoeing treks in beautiful and remote wilderness destinations.
• Waves of Grace – Nonprofit organization based in Brentwood, TN, providing respite beach vacations for cancer patients and their families. It offers a break from treatments and hospitals, allowing them to relax and celebrate life in a peaceful environment.

Please note: VBCF is not responsible for or affiliated with organizing these programs or events, but we provide this list as a community service to Virginians. Please contact the hosts via the links provided for more information.

• Camp Kesem – Camp Kesem hosts free summer camps & provides year-round programs and services to support kids ages 6-18 with a parent dealing with cancer. Virginia has seven chapters throughout the state, as well as one in the District of Columbia.
• Comfort Camp Zone – A Richmond-based 501c3 bereavement organization that transforms the lives of children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver. Programs are free of charge and include confidence-building activities and age-based support groups that break the emotional isolation grief often brings. Camp Comfort Zone empowers children experiencing grief to fully realize their capacity to heal, grow, and lead more fulfilling lives.
• Inheritance of Hope – Provides all-expenses-paid Legacy Retreats for families with children who are facing the loss of a parent. These retreats offer families with children under the age of 18 the chance to create lasting memories while also gaining tools to help cope with a parent’s terminal illness.
• Jack & Jill Late-Stage Cancer Foundation – A national public charity provides “WOW! Experiences” for children nearing the loss of a parent to late-stage cancer. This non-profit creates cherished family memories by offering unique getaways, prescribed by oncologists as part of the family’s treatment.
• Pickles Group – Kids Supporting Kids – Provides free peer-to-peer support and resources for kids coping with a parent or loved one’s diagnosis.

Support Groups

Click here to view VBCF’s Support Group listings.

Find a Support Group for you or your loved one in our online directory. VBCF also lists groups specifically for Caregivers in our resources. Sharing experiences, hope, and understanding is one of the most effective ways to discover which tools work best for you.

Talk to a Therapist

Click here to learn more about Talking to a Therapist. 

Reach out if you need help. Having a professional to help you navigate this difficult time can combat depression and anxiety and allow you to find strength in the process.