The Early Days

It all started with an article in the local newspaper, the Daily Hampshire Gazette. But first, a little background…

My sister Linda was 8 years older than me. When she died of breast cancer at 48, I didn’t realize how young she really was. When I did, I got mad. Thus started my journey – along with many others – towards what has now become Cancer Connection.

The day the Daily Hampshire Gazette reporter came to interview me in front of the YMCA, I was collecting signatures for a Mass Breast Cancer Coalition campaign to get then President Clinton to declare breast cancer an epidemic. More funds were needed to fight the disease. When Linda was ill, all I received was a pamphlet titled: When Your Loved One is Dying. It was not enough.

Jackie Walker was a nursing supervisor at the Northampton Nursing Home. She saw the article with my interview and allegedly carried it around in the pocket of her scrubs for three weeks before she called me. She introduced herself, told me her story and talked…and talked. I always kidded her, from that time forward, that she never did stop talking.

Jackie’s first priority was to have a breast cancer support group in a non-hospital setting.

My employer at the time, Smith College, gave us a space, in what is now their Poetry Center lounge, and 15 people came the first night. Meanwhile, I began to gather members to join the Mass Breast Cancer Coalition, as I was really motivated to have a local chapter in the Valley.

With the help of staff members from, what was then called the Family Planning Council of Western Mass (now called Tapestry), along with clients of their Breast Cancer project, and approximately 20 or more women who either had breast cancer themselves or had a member of their family diagnosed with it, we created the Pioneer Valley chapter of the Mass Breast Cancer Coalition (MBBC). Our new banner hung over Main Street in Northampton. Before we kicked off a rally through Northampton, then mayor, Mary Ford, declared Breast Cancer Action week. Walking on a cleared street and shouting breast cancer slogans was so invigorating even in the rain!

In 1994, we held a deeply emotional event. We brought the MBCC’s traveling exhibit, Facing Breast Cancer to the Neilson Library at Smith College. Individuals put pictures of their loved ones who had cancer or died from the disease, alongside the pictures of women in the group, like Jackie. Congressman Richard Neal, Northampton Mayor Ford, and Smith College President Dunn all attended.

Bringing together a dynamic group of female breast cancer activists from the Pioneer Valley, meant we would soon outgrow our Boston-based organization. We craved our independence, after our incredible success with events and public information campaign. In order for us to have the monies raised stay locally, we formed the ‘Pioneer Valley Breast Cancer Network’ (PVBCN). We had our own logo designed and were off and running!

PVBCN held tag sales, rallies, gathered petitions, and more. Collectively, we even published of a book of Jackie Walker’s poetry. She was a prolific and inspirational writer about her experience with breast cancer. One Saturday afternoon, all of the PVBCN members gathered at Silver Maple Press on Masonic Street (now home to the Mosaic Restaurant) and used their antique press to put the silver moon on the cover of Jackie’s poetry book. Then, everyone gathered at my home and sewed the book together – the old school way with borrowed needles and whalebones from the Silver Maple Press. Jackie’s mother even joined us – it was so sweet!

One day, Jackie threw down the gauntlet to me, “We should start a place where people with cancer can come to talk.”

Having just left our respective jobs, I took her statement as a challenge and read a lot about cancer support programs in other cities across the country. (Gilda’s House in NY City, the Wellness Community on the West Coast, and in Newton, MA at that time.) We drank a lot of coffee at Bart’s coffee shop, our unofficial “office” in downtown Northampton. We met there almost daily with every person we thought might have an interest in cancer. A board of directors, an advisory board, and a pro bono lawyer helped us complete our 501©3 non-profit application.

The new center was not going to ask for any medical or financial forms as it was going to be free of charge! All of our ideas were run past our PVBCN friends who served as our focus group. We all wanted support groups, activities, and a drop-in center. The local hospital (Cooley Dickinson Hospital) offered us a rent-free space for six months in the Silk Mill building in nearby Florence, MA. We accepted their generous offer and officially opened Cancer Connection’s doors in the spring of 2000.

Our first participant had ovarian cancer, something we learned a great deal about through her journey. We created a group for women with ovarian cancer and one for those with breast cancer. When our first male participant arrived, another experienced participant offered to lead a men’s group. The groups kept coming and many of those original groups still exist today. We were so fortunate to live in the Pioneer Valley, with so many excellent social workers, psychotherapists, and practitioners. Our monthly lunches – with cookies – allowed for discussion and supervision for all the group leaders.

When I coincidentally met a crew coach, at a college reunion, I told her about a Canadian study that concluded dragon boat paddling improved lymphatic drainage after breast cancer surgery. She was all in and by the summer of 2000, our first rowing team was on the Connecticut River! When I look back now at the first program flyer for fall 2000, I am amazed at the array of programs we offered! So many local people came forward to offer their services and we soon had a variety of support groups and complementary therapies to offer.

Believe it or not, we had a lot of fun with fundraisers in those early days. Cancer Connection benefitted from creative community events. Everything from ‘Canines for Cancer’ at a local farm to benefit dinners. We got to meet a lot of great people and eat a lot of good food.

Back at the office, Jackie and I were always grateful for the calming presence of our faithful assistant, Sybil, who could cut apples and cheese better than anyone, while managing the day to day needs of the  facility. We hired Sybil on our first day and she stayed on until, sadly, Jackie Walker died in early 2008. I was already contemplating when the time would be best for me to step down from the daily operations. After Jackie died, I needed to let other people with new ideas and enthusiasm take the organization we founded to the next level. Luckily for Cancer Connection, that person was sitting on our board of directors. 

Betsy G. Neisner, Executive Director 2008 – 2017

Betsy Neisner, a local attorney, was volunteering on our board of directors in 2008. She agreed to step down to take over Cancer Connection’s leadership and became our new Executive Director in 2008.

Growing Pains – Expanding Cancer Connection’s Physical Capacity

Ten years after opening our doors, Betsy knew that Cancer Connection no longer had the physical capacity to schedule enough support groups, workshops, and therapies to meet the needs and demands of our participants. We were limited in several crucial ways, because of the space constraints at our original location in the Silk Mill. It was impossible to offer support groups and therapies at the same time as people needed to walk through the living room to access the therapy room.

In 2010, the Board of Directors approved a plan to move to a new ground level location down the road, near Childs Park, which significantly increased our program capacity while improved access to our center. Our prior location was down a flight of stairs with no elevator. Our new space even included a landscaped backyard! The board established a building campaign to fund the necessary renovations at 41 Locust Street.

Wright Builders of Northampton offered to take on the role of general contractor for the project as a community project, thereby reducing the cost of goods and services through discounts and donations. The project was completed in time for Cancer Connection to move into its new home during the summer of 2010.

Expanding Programs and Services

Once in our new home, we began to offer a wider range of program options. For the first time, integrative therapies could be scheduled without interrupting classes in the living room. One-on-one befriending, classes, and support groups alternated time in the living room while Reiki, massage and acupuncture each had their own days in our private integrative therapy room. We also began to offer an all-cancer support group in Amherst, massage therapy at the Healing Zone in Hadley, and a writing and yoga workshop occasionally in Shelburne Falls to reduce the distance participants located outside Northampton had to travel for support.

More services need more funding – a Thrift Shop is born!

December 12, 2013, Cancer Connection Thrift Store opens in Northampton. Daily Hampshire Gazette reporter Laurie Loisel was on hand for the ribbon cutting and covered opening day at the new store.

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