I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious. ~ Albert Einstein

A Fresh Chapter began as the spark of an idea and a deep sense of curiosity about whether volunteering and travel could help me redefine my life after breast cancer. Now, as I sit in Lima, Peru in the midst of our 12th A Fresh Chapter program, and our second Peru Odyssey, I am incredibly grateful for the partners, participants, donors, volunteers, board members, and alumni who have shared our curious spirit and played a vital role in our growth. Together, we have made it possible for more than 150 participants to heal the emotional scars of cancer while creating a ripple of good in the world. 

We have some exciting plans in store for a Fresh Chapter, both at the end of this year and the year to come. But, before we look to the horizon, I want to pause and share the impact of last year’s Peru Odyssey Program. 

As many of you know, we launched our Peru Odyssey program last year in partnership with Eli Lilly and Company’s Connecting Hearts Abroad Program. Today, we are excited to give you a window into the experience through both a newly released video as well as data pulled from our soon-to-be-released program report*.

Peru 2016 Results

In October 2016, 10 Lilly employees touched by cancer joined 10 other cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to volunteer in Lima, Peru. Together, we supported cancer patients and others living in impoverished communities and through ongoing support and resources, our participants had the opportunity to heal, connect, and redefine what is possible after cancer. Below, we are excited to share quotes from our participants, a video produced by our partners at Reality For A Better Reality, as well as an overview of our program results.

“I am thankful to A Fresh Chapter for helping me find me again. Whether it was being honest about my loss and my fears, experiencing the happiness of volunteering at my placement, or sitting on top of Machu Picchu, I realized how much joy I actually have in my life – even with metastatic breast cancer.” ~ Kahron Palet

“A Fresh Chapter and Connecting Hearts Abroad provided me with an incredible personal and professional life-changing experience. I was able, for the first time, to write down and share what angers and disappoints me about my cancer diagnosis. I could begin to move forward and heal (and understand and appreciate from others impacted by cancer) the challenges of having cancer and surviving cancer. My time in Peru changed my perspective.” ~ Michael Polkowitz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjMgG7x1ZJs

In an effort to track the impact of the program in several categories, we conducted surveys of participants before and after the program. Following a performance management methodology, we were able to demonstrate, among other things, an increase in feelings of belonging, meaning and resilience in participants of the A Fresh Chapter Peru Odyssey program. See below:

The program and its impact would not have been possible without our partners at Lilly. We are also incredibly grateful to the individual donors who continue to help us fund scholarships to transform the lives of people impacted by cancer. Thank you for helping us create a ripple of good in the world and for being such an important part of our tribe.

*A full edition of the Peru Odyssey Program Report will soon be available on our website.