Five Questions With: Maria Gemma-Corcelli

THE WELLNESS CENTER uncovered the need for emotional support. It is difficult to pick just one program, since all our programs are well-attended. However, our longest running program is our drop-in support group, which began when the Wellness Center first opened.
THE WELLNESS CENTER uncovered the need for emotional support. It is difficult to pick just one program, since all our programs are well-attended. However, our longest running program is our drop-in support group, which began when the Wellness Center first opened.

Maria Gemma-Corcelli is executive director of the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, which was established in 2004 in memory of Gloria Gemma, two years after Gemma, a wife and mother of nine, lost her fight against breast cancer. Her eldest daughter, Gemma-Corcelli, has held her position since 2008, when the foundation opened its Resource and Wellness Center. Here, Gemma-Corcelli discusses the nonprofit’s latest plans to boost fund raising for the organization.

PBN: How has the mission of the nonprofit evolved since the early days of its founding 11 years ago?
GEMMA-CORCELLI:
The foundation originally was an online resource to help breast cancer patients navigate the maze of information. After hosting several awareness events, the need for survivor programs and breast health education became apparent by listening to concerns of medical professionals and people affected by this disease.
Survivor needs are unique, and statistics provided by the American Association for Cancer Research indicate there are almost 14 million cancer survivors in the United States; breast cancer survivors make up one-fifth of that total number.
In addition, it is predicted that there will be 18 million cancer survivors by 2022. Our programs enable survivors to gather in a safe, nonjudgmental environment to receive important information to improve their mental and physical well-being. We also knew through our own experience and from the people we serve that breast cancer affects the entire family, so we put more emphasis on the entire family, creating a men’s group and offering activities for children.
More recently, we have focused on the Latina and African American communities, and we are tailoring programs and services to meet the specific needs of these cultures.

PBN: What is your most popular program at the Wellness Center?
GEMMA-CORCELLI:
The Wellness Center uncovered the need for emotional support. It is difficult to pick just one program, since all our programs are well-attended. However, our longest running program is our drop-in support group, which began when the Wellness Center first opened.
The drop-in mindset is a standard at the Foundation, and individuals affected by breast cancer can drop by our center to talk with someone who has traveled a similar path.
We also develop and implement our programs based on the needs of the people we serve, and one of our fastest growing programs has been our Young Survivor Program, because it addresses the unique needs and concerns of women diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 44.

PBN: GloriDays is a new 44-mile, multi-day journey and fund raiser that takes place on June 5-7. Tell us about its intent, participation and how much money you need to raise.
GEMMA-CORCELLI:
Participants in GloriDays are committed to making a difference in their community through this journey that celebrates life. This is our first year for an event like this, and we are fortunate to have committee members with experience on multi-day walks who want to see an event of this caliber happen locally.
With a very limited marketing budget, promotion of GloriDays has become a true grassroots effort with volunteers promoting the event through their personal social media pages, distributing printed material and encouraging their friends and families to participate.
With the parameters we set, the event has the ability to raise at least $900,000 if it has 600 participants; however, all successful events take time to grow. Funds raised for this inaugural event will initiate a capital campaign and feasibility study for the planning and development of the future Survivorship and Wellness Center.

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PBN: How will the new Survivorship and Wellness Center differ from what you have in place now?
GEMMA-CORCELLI:
Our new Survivorship and Wellness Center will significantly enhance the quality of our service to the community and improve the experience for individuals and families facing breast cancer. Our goal is to create a new centrally located facility that is easily accessible to the greater Rhode Island population.
Several of our programs take place out in the community, because we lack the physical space. Our desire is to provide a safe, holistic healing environment that is easy to navigate, inspires hope and offers all our complimentary programs and services under one roof. We are estimating a timeline for this new center to be five years.

PBN: Who and how many people use the Hope Bus? What are the benefits of this mobile program?
GEMMA-CORCELLI:
The Hope Bus averages 7,000 to 8,000 visitors each year. Visitors come from various backgrounds and socioeconomic status. These include low income, underserved and minority populations whom we target, as well as students at all levels, business employees, university and college faculty and staff, healthcare professionals, and the general public.
Some visitors have been touched by breast cancer as patients or family members; others are searching for resources or information.
Since 2011, our Hope Bus program allows us to reach a greater number of Rhode Islanders and people living in nearby Massachusetts by going into the community and connecting the yet-to-be served population. We are able to provide our support and services directly to patients and survivors at their treatment centers.
Our education programs go into neighborhoods, churches, housing developments, businesses and schools through our mobile program, allowing us to bring vital information about breast health to many more people and connecting them to our Wellness Center.

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