The Better Angels of Our Nature

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory…will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

– from President Abraham Lincoln’s Inaugural address, March 4, 1861

Dear member of the Shanti family,

This morning, I watched Hillary Clinton’s concession speech while holding my sleeping 17-month-old daughter in my arms. As Secretary Clinton encouraged us “to never stop believing that fighting for what is right is worth it,” the poignancy of last night’s election results overwhelmed me.

For 42 years, Shanti has been a catalyst – in San Francisco and across the country and world – in offering compassionate care. At the heart of our model lies the belief that our shared humanity is always stronger than any differences that may seem to separate us from one another.

When I showed up for my Shanti volunteer training in 2004, I immediately fell in love with this organization. Looking back, the training didn’t just teach me the skills I’d need to be an effective volunteer; it taught me how to live by, in the words of Lincoln, the better angels of our nature. I am looking forward to this weekend’s Shanti volunteer training, as I will have the honor to be surrounded by a new group of volunteers who are offering themselves to selfless service, with compassion and empathy, for some of our community’s most vulnerable. Because if there is one thing that is starkly clear to me right now, it’s how much we all need more compassion and empathy, and Shanti provides this.

I want to thank all of you for your support of Shanti. Though I’ve always cherished being a part of such a special community, my gratitude for the Shanti community and its work has never been greater than today, as we all brace for what’s next for our country.

In community, 

Kaushik Roy

Executive Director

Shanti Awarded $50,000 from Avon-Pfizer Towards Metastatic Breast Cancer Services

THE SHANTI PROJECT RECEIVES A $50,000 GRANT FROM THE AVON FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN AND PFIZER TO SUPPORT PATIENTS LIVING WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER

Shanti among 22 non profit organizations to be awarded funding specifically towards metastatic breast cancer patient services. 

New York, NY – October 13, 2016 – The Shanti Project received a $50,000 grant from the Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants Program: Identify-Amplify-Unify. In total, 22 non-profit organizations received grants totaling $1 million in funding to support and educate metastatic breast cancer patients, their caregivers and their communities. 

The 22 grantee organizations will receive grants ranging from $25,000 to $75,000, to:

·         Address gaps in services for the metastatic breast cancer community, including medical, psychological, nutritional, complementary and integrative services, support, financial, and legal support.

·         Distribute resources and services available to vulnerable populations, including through telemedicine.

·         Share educational resources with the public focusing on metastatic disease, palliative care, treatment options, clinical trials, access to holistic medication, and complementary medicine.

The Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants Program was created in June 2014 to support advocacy, academic and other nonprofit organizations that provide information and services to help people with metastatic breast cancer navigate the medical and emotional challenges associated with their disease. To date, the partners have invested $2 million towards this goal. The first class of grantees announced last year helped more than 32,800 individuals through efforts including nutrition counseling, patient navigation, education and complementary care. Nearly 230 caregivers also benefitted from grantee initiatives, and many more families and community members were supported by this work. In addition, some programs included online content, reaching more than 14 million people with information on metastatic breast cancer.

For more information about the Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants program, visit http://www.avon39.org/about/grants/metastatic-breast-cancer-grants-program/.

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About Shanti's Margot Murphy Women's Cancer Program
Shanti's Margot Murphy Women's Cancer Program offers services to mitigate the barriers women face after a cancer diagnosis. Our care navigators provide multilingual, culturally competent services, offering patient advocacy, language interpretation, help applying for social services, in-home support, appointment accompaniment, and transportation assistance. Our staff meets with clients in their homes, hospital rooms, or in our office. Shanti also provides health and wellness groups and classes.
We work with anyone newly diagnosed, in survivorship, or in palliative care.
Our program is part of a larger breast cancer community, partnering with public and private hospitals in San Francisco, and working closely with social workers, medical providers, and community partners to encourage treatment adherence to reduce interruptions in care. For more information, please visit: http://www.shanti.org/pages/about-Margot-Murphy-womens-cancer-program.html

About Pfizer Oncology
Pfizer Oncology is committed to the discovery, investigation and development of innovative treatment options to improve the outlook for cancer patients worldwide. Our strong pipeline of biologics and small molecules, one of the most robust in the industry, is studied with precise focus on identifying and translating the best scientific breakthroughs into clinical application for patients across a wide range of cancers. By working collaboratively with academic institutions, individual researchers, cooperative research groups, governments, and licensing partners, Pfizer Oncology strives to cure or control cancer with breakthrough medicines, to deliver the right drug for each patient at the right time. For more information, please visit www.Pfizer.com.

About the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade

Since 1992, the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade has been working to improve breast cancer outcomes and reduce disparities in survival rates. The Crusade’s strategic grant making reflects: a holistic and place-based approach in high-need areas throughout the United States; a commitment to enabling access to medical advances and support services for breast cancer patients, particularly those from vulnerable populations; and a commitment to investing in research on the prevention, diagnostics, and treatment of breast cancer. In the U.S., Avon Breast Cancer Crusade manages the Avon Foundation for Women’s breast cancer programs. The Avon Foundation for Women partners with affiliate Avon Foundations and Avon markets around the world for additional programming. In total, Avon and the Foundation have contributed more than $800 million to breast cancer programs around the world through 2015. To learn more, visit: www.avonfoundation.org.  

About Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women 
Avon is a global corporate leader in philanthropy focused on causes that matter most to women. Through 2015, Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women have contributed over $1 billion in over 50 countries. Avon’s funding is focused on breast cancer research and advancing access to quality care through the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, and efforts to reduce domestic and gender violence through its Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program. The company’s global markets sell special products to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer and domestic violence, conduct hundreds of events for these causes, and educate women around the world through its global network of nearly six million Avon Representatives.

Volunteer Profile: Sondra Bishop

“ If I see a need, then I do it, whatever it takes.”

Shanti recently profiled one of its beloved volunteers, Sondra Bishop.

Like many long-time San Franciscans, Sondra first heard of Shanti during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  “I had several friends with AIDS, so I was affected directly…Shanti also used to have [flyers and billboards up], but it was [mostly] word of mouth – for someone that needed help, Shanti was the go-to organization, actually…. It was a brand name, Shanti.  There weren’t many other organizations that you really could identify with as helping the community….And now when I say [that I’ve volunteered with Shanti], people of that era or of that age group will say “Oh I used to volunteer [for Shanti!]”   

During the HIV/AIDS crisis, Sondra independently supported a number of friends affected by the disease. “I was just helping out 1-on-1…. Most of my volunteering is on a personal level – I’m just one of those people that, if I see a need, then I do it, whatever it takes. “

She became directly involved with Shanti when she enrolled her new canine as a therapy dog through the ASPCA. When the ASPCA assigned her to Shanti, at the Drop-In Center she met one of the Shanti Care Navigators, who asked her if she’d like to attend an upcoming volunteer training. Reflecting on how she felt after completing the training, she declared “I came out of there like I was born again, like…. ‘My eyes are open, you don’t know about this organization, it’s incredible!’” She now visits Shanti’s Drop-in Center during the first two Tuesdays of every month. Sondra also volunteers regularly at Shanti’s annual dinners and events (including PAWS’s Petchitecture, which was held in May). 

When asked what aspect of Shanti’s mission most resonates with her, Sondra stated “The peer support – offering help to the neediest in the community…and that no individual should face a life-threatening illness by themselves. That, to me – I think that says it all….that’s the humanity of the organization. And now that you’ve expanded it to everyone, it’s not like you’re isolating to one disease....It’s non-judgmental.” 

Her occupation: Part-time patient coordinator for a plastic surgeon who performs head, neck & facial reconstructions

How she recharges:  Visiting and conversing with friends.   She used to travel frequently and collect Tibetan art – these days, she mostly enjoys reading and helping people, and like many others in SF, she is “always busy!” 

Her favorite thing about SF: “It’s my home, so of course I love it. I love the fact that it’s small, that you can go from one neighborhood to another, and that each neighborhood is unique to itself – like the tapestry of the community….Everyone comes from someplace else, so it’s a sense of community.”

PAWS and Shanti: Hitting the Ground Running

Photos by Drew Altizer Photography

In great news for San Francisco animal lovers, Shanti merged with PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support) in November 2015!  PAWS will continue as a program of Shanti. Here’s the new mission statement of the combined organization:  Shanti Project exists to enhance the health, quality of life, and well-being of people with terminal, life-threatening, or disabling illnesses or conditions.  Through a continuum of services, including in-home and onsite patient and care navigation, emotional and practical support, and preserving the human-animal bond, Shanti strives to achieve the highest medical and quality of life outcomes for San Francisco’s most vulnerable. 

While there exists a number of noble animal-related causes and organizations in San Francisco, PAWS is unique in that it is the only program dedicated to ensuring that no pet guardians have to choose between caring for themselves or keeping their beloved animal companions (often times their sole source of support).  And this service is critical for maintaining clients’ emotional and physical well-being: interaction with companion animals has been proven to lower anxiety levels and decrease the onset, severity, or progression of stress-related conditions. Some studies even show that pet ownership can lengthen a person’s life by providing cardiovascular benefits and decreasing incidences of depression. The PAWS merger with Shanti is helping to ensure that PAWS can continue to provide these unique services to hundreds of clients for years to come, as well as strengthen the presence of both organizations within the community. 

Over the past six months, while both organizations have been working through various integration-related initiatives and a few inevitable challenges, the merger already has spurred some very encouraging developments.  The program was able to hire two additional Care Navigators to further meet its expanding client needs.  Further, the joint organization has begun to pilot ways to provide clients access to a more holistic range of services. For example, recently, a breast cancer patient with an aging dog was referred to PAWS’ Ask a Vet services, where she was able obtain vital information on her companion’s healthcare needs. As a result of this type of progress, members of the agency are very optimistic about PAWS’ ability to keep strengthening the support that it’s able to provide to San Franciscans in need. 

On May 25, the agency hosted the 21st annual Petchitecture at The Fairmont Hotel—a signature PAWS gala and the first of many successful events with PAWS and the Shanti Project working to strengthen our community together. The evening raised approximately $195,000 in support of PAWS’ mission to maintain the human-animal bond for those most vulnerable in our community. Four-hundred and fifty friends, and approximately one hundred of their beloved canine companions came out for a wonderful event celebrating the mission of PAWS and the PAWS program’s champions of the human-animal bond. If you missed the celebration, we hope to see you next year as PAWS celebrates 30 years of service.

Photos by Drew Altizer Photography