29 November 2016 – On 5 December the world will celebrate those who give their time and generosity of spirit to those in need. CANSA will be celebrating the many volunteers who are dedicated to making a positive difference to the lives of cancer survivors.
“Without our network of about 7 000 trained volunteers we would not be able to deliver holistic care and support required by cancer survivors and their families throughout South Africa,” says CANSA Chief Executive officer Elize Joubert.
International Volunteer Day places a spotlight on these selfless people and the care, patience and compassion they display for people who need it most.
“We cannot express just how much we value the contribution our volunteers make to CANSA,” says Joubert. “As a non-profit organisation, we rely heavily on generosity of others and our volunteers continue to step up to pay it forward.”
CANSA’s volunteer network comprises many people who have been affected by the disease in some way – either they are survivors themselves or know someone who is. Then there are those who simply put their hands up to make a difference.
Sheila Moolman (64), a volunteer for 14 years at the CANSA Durban Care Centre, says she was reluctant to become involved at first as she was not a cancer survivor and didn’t enjoy the limelight. “But for some reason I accepted the challenge of running a cancer support group which required me to stand up and address the members on a regular basis.
“I have witnessed courage, fortitude and serenity in so many who have faced this disease and formed so many wonderful friendships. It fulfills me to witness the interaction between survivors and the support and comfort that they give each other.”
Sharon Fransman responded to an advert in the local newspaper in 2012 calling for volunteers at CANSA Wellington. “I immediately enrolled for the volunteer course and I believe it’s the best decision I ever made,” she says. “Often cancer survivors are just looking for someone who is willing to listen. When you volunteer, you become one of the most important companions on their cancer journey.
CANSA provides its volunteers with training and ensures that they receive the support that they require. “They learn from us and we learn from them,” says Joubert. “More often than not, our relationships with our volunteers result in life-long friendships.”
If you would like to become a CANSA volunteer, you can sign up at your local CANSA Care Centre, or register online http://www.cansa.org.za/become-a-volunteer/ or call toll-free 0800 22 66 22 . “You will find that as a volunteer, you find your life experience broadening in more positive ways that you could have ever imagined,” says Joubert.
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(For more information, please contact Lucy Balona, Head: Marketing and Communication at CANSA at email [email protected]. Call 011 616 7662 or cell: 082 459 5230. You can visit www.cansa.org.za or call CANSA toll-free 0800 22 66 22 or email:[email protected].)
Contact your CANSA CARE Centre to Volunteer
Sign up to become a CANSA Care Volunteer
The Take Heart Ation toolkit with support of the Aspen Foundation. The toolkit has been offered free to use online. It is also completely compatible with mobile and pc browsers for all users.
The Action Toolkit Guide is an accompaniment to the film Take Heart: The Quest to Rid Australasia of Rheumatic Heart Disease, using real stories to deliver important health information about Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). The trailer is free to view with the renting or purchasing of the film available at a small cost.
This Toolkit is designed to help communities, clinicians, health workers and educators to understand, access and utilise the full suite of resources created for the Take Heart: Australasia project.
RHD is similarly a seriously health and risk factor in South Africa with the same goals for eradication and disease combating.
STATEMENT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE, FROM LYNN SILVER, MD, MPH, SENIOR ADVISOR, CHRONIC DISEASE AND OBESITY PREVENTION,
The Public Health Institute applauds the sweeping action by voters across the country in San Francisco, Oakland and Albany in California and Boulder, Colorado, who successfully took things into their own hands and passed taxes on sugary drinks, protecting their communities from the ravages of chronic disease and poor health. Voters supported these measures with 54% in Boulder, 62% in San Francisco, 61% in Oakland and 71% in Albany. Boulder’s tax is 2 cents per ounce, the highest in the nation, and the others one cent per ounce. PHI congratulates these cities, their residents, and the broad coalitions that made these successes possible.
Oakland, San Francisco, Albany and Boulder are following in the footsteps of Berkeley, CA, Philadelphia, PA and Mexico in taking on the power of the soda industry to improve the health and well-being of their communities. These measures passed in spite of record-breaking spending by Big Soda of over $20 million dollars, and industry campaigns fueled by lies that falsely depicted the fee as a grocery tax.
The writing is on the wall. Voters will no longer tolerate the devastating impact of sugar sweetened beverages on their loved ones and communities. PHI was proud to join a broad coalition of organizations and individuals from all walks of life from the three Bay Area communities in supporting these measures. Their dedication bore fruit today.
The evidence is clear: soda taxes directly reduce sales of unhealthy beverages while also generating millions of dollars to support prevention and build healthier communities. Research measuring the impact of Berkeley’s tax, approved in 2014, found a 21% decline in sugary drink consumption in low-income communities and a 63% increase in water consumption after the tax, as well as a decline in sales of unhealthy beverages while healthier options increased sales, and there was no increase in overall grocery bills (PHI and UNC) in the first six months.
We look forward to similar impact in the communities that passed a tax today and to seeing more soda tax policies established across California, the nation and the globe. Today’s votes on soda tax were a victory for public health, the health of the Bay Area, Colorado and the will of the people.
