A Fresh Chapter (AFC) is committed to ensuring our programs are available to people from all backgrounds and all types of cancer.

We believe in empowering each participant to play a role in making his or her fresh chapter a reality. Those who have the capacity and network to launch a fundraising campaign are able to engage their communities to help make the program a reality. However, we know that in addition to the emotional scars, cancer can also leave people financially devastated.

We believe a person’s financial situation should not dictate his or her opportunity to discover renewed healing and purpose in their lives. So with the support of our incredibly generous donors, AFC has both Scholarship and Fellowship opportunities for patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates who are ready to redefine what is possible after cancer.

Give The Gift of Healing & Possibility

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are able to offer scholarships through both the Melissa Carroll Legacy Fund and the AFC Scholarship Fund. Each of our recipients has the opportunity to heal the emotional scars of the disease through volunteering, meaningful travel, and activities designed to reframe adversity and redefine what is possible.

Melissa Carroll Legacy Fund: Melissa was an alumni of our 2013 India pilot program and quickly became an instrumental part of our community. Melissa passed away from Ewings Sarcoma in March of 2014. The morning after Melissa left this world, Melissa’s parents – Paul and Cecelia – created the Melissa Carroll Legacy Fund (MCLF) in her honor. To learn more about Melissa’s story or give via her fund, visit the Melissa Carroll Legacy Fund page.

AFC Scholarship Fund: All donations to A Fresh Chapter are allocated to our AFC Scholarship Fund. With your support, we will continue to transform the lives of patients, survivors, and caregivers as they create a ripple of good in the world. If you are interested in a one time named donation or creating a named recurring scholarship fund, like the Melissa Carroll Legacy Fund, please contact us at info@afreshchapter.com.

Our scholarships are for individuals who demonstrate financial need, who are not able to fundraise the full program fee, and who have created a well-defined impact plan for how they want to pay forward the experience through volunteering at home. Whether contributing to the A Fresh Chapter (AFC) Scholarship Fund or the Melissa Carroll Legacy Fund, our donors are helping our participants redefine what is possible after cancer.

Honor Your Loved One With A Scholarship

The hardest part of our work is when members of our community pass away. We are humbled and honored when family members and friends donate in honor of a loved one. In 2019, we lost Jennifer Dornbush – an amazing woman from Winnipeg, Canada and alum from our 2015 South Africa program. Her legacy will live on in the hearts of so many, and the funds raised in her memory were used to offer a 2020 Peru Odyssey scholarship for a fellow Canadian young adult impacted by cancer. To everyone who contributed in Jennifer’s honor, thank you for changing lives with us.

If you would like to honor your loved one by raising funds for a scholarship, let us know.

The Ripple Impact of Our Scholarships

Audacious and hopeful, A Fresh Chapter transforms the adversity of cancer into new purpose and possibility. Through proven US and International programs, participants gain perspective, find community, and redefine their lives. Since February 2013, more than 200 A Fresh Chapter participants have contributed more than 21,500 volunteer hours to dozens of organizations – positively impacting the lives of many hundreds of people around the world. Our comprehensive framework of support before, during, and after each volunteer experience helps participants process and reframe the adversity of cancer while reimagining the possibilities for their future(s).

To learn more about A Fresh Chapter, feel free to Explore Our Programs, See How You Can Get Involved, Learn About Our Impact and Meet Our Scholarship Recipients.

A Fresh Chapter (AFC)’s 1-year Fellowship Program is open to experienced cancer advocates, as well as those who have leadership potential and an interest in becoming new advocates. A Fellowship opportunity with AFC empowers advocates to participate in a 2-week on-site volunteer experience, develop new leadership skills, and engage with the AFC Team as we expand our programs to serve more patients, survivors, and caregivers around the world.

The fellowship program is open to cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers who have shown a demonstrated commitment to the cancer community or have the right interpersonal skills and personality characteristics to emerge as a new leader within the advocacy space. Applicants to this program should have a deep connection to our mission and a desire to use their skills, knowledge, and abilities to create a positive ripple impact on communities that may be under-resourced or under-served.