Facing a cancer diagnosis at any age of your life can be extremely difficult to navigate. It’s a devastating situation for many, whether facing the diagnosis yourself or finding out a close member in your whānau is going through it.
Every year in Aotearoa, around 4,200 rangatahi are impacted by cancer, which turns their whole world upside down. Reality as they know it changes in the blink of an eye, and they are faced with finding ways to cope with things like falling behind in school, seeing their friends less or going to regular chemotherapy sessions. That’s where we come in.
At Canteen Aotearoa, our goal is to provide safe spaces with free cancer support services where rangatahi can form connections, talk about the tough stuff, and get a break from cancer. If you are interested in helping rangatahi and getting behind the life-changing services we provide, read on to discover how you can be a leader in cancer support in Aotearoa.
The Importance of Cancer Support in Aotearoa
As the only national organisation in Aotearoa providing tailored cancer support for rangatahi between the ages of 12 to 24, we have seen firsthand how isolating this journey can be.
We believe that our services make a world of difference in people’s lives, and over the past year, we have helped more than 800 rangatahi with our free support services and programmes. From in-person peer events to online counselling and more, we have seen that rangatahi feel less alone when they connect with our services. In fact, after receiving regular therapy sessions, 87% reported a significant improvement in their mental health, while 84% felt they were able to manage their problems better.
Thanks to regular and ongoing donations by generous Kiwis, we are able to continue providing these vital cancer support services and make a positive difference in the lives of rangatahi facing cancer. But none of this is possible without your help.
