About Us
A diagnosis of cancer is difficult for anyone.
It can be hard on families as well.
Celebrate Life Cancer Ministry began with one person’s personal experience.
OUR MISSION
Celebrate Life Cancer Ministry provides caring support for cancer patients, survivors, and their caregivers through volunteers, called Care Ambassadors. We provide programs, resources, and even volunteers to escort and comfort patients during treatments. We also offer support groups, social events and financial and educational resources.
We are a 501c3, non-profit multicultural organization available to anyone affected by cancer and their families.
HISTORY
On the day of 9/11, was the day the United States and the world were turned upside down, it was also the day Pastor Rhonda Holbert began her battle with cancer. Her diagnosis was an aggressive form of Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). Throughout the following year, she endured two surgeries, ten rounds of chemotherapy, and twenty-five days of radiation. During the agony of that time, Pastor Rhonda was sustained by her faith in God, a caring family, a hospital posse, and a good friend.
To celebrate the completion of her treatment, she invited other cancer fighters she had befriended throughout the year, many of them still in treatment, to a thanksgiving pot-luck where they ate, danced, and played BidWisk (a card game). At the end of the evening, three people said, “We need to do this more often”, so the group decided to meet on a monthly basis. As the meetings grew, a local church, where Pastor Rhonda had spoken about her experience with cancer, donated funds and volunteers to facilitate another larger potluck and “Celebrate Life”, Pastor Rhonda’s motto, became Celebrate Life Cancer Ministry, a community of cancer fighters, survivors and their supporters, working together to help others navigate the healing process.
As of 2021, Celebrate Life Cancer Ministry has provided services to over 3500 families through, support group meetings, treatment buddies, telephone buddies, line dance classes, chair exercise classes, spa days, family fun nights, New Years Praise Parties, Touch of Love: Gifts to Children with Cancer, wellness checks, cancer conferences, hospice support and so much more.
2022 highlight, as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease decreases the service in Shepherd’s Manor will increase along with maintaining some of the virtual experiences. Celebrate Life Cancer Ministry is represented on various communities committees and collaboratives such as: USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Community Advisory Board, Charles R. Drew Univerisity Community Advisory Committee, Cancer Support Community Strategic Planning Committee, Tower Cancer Foundation, Providence Saint John’s Health Center/Cancer Insitute, Stand Up 2 Cancer, South Central Prevention Coalition, City of Hope: CCARE and UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity & UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
