Shanti Expands Women's Cancer Program

Underserved San Francisco women diagnosed with cancer can receive a wide variety of social services under a $1 million program announced this week by the Shanti Project, which is expanding its service that formerly just served women with breast cancer.

The nonprofit, which last month marked its 41st anniversary, provides emotional and practical support services to people with life threatening and chronic illnesses, including HIV/AIDS.

At a news conference outside City Hall Tuesday, November 10, Shanti officials and political leaders announced the renamed Margot Murphy Women's Cancer program. Those in attendance included Supervisors Katy Tang, Jane Kim and Malia Cohen as well as Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and a representative from gay state Senator Mark Leno's (D-San Francisco) office.

Financed with public and private funds, the program is expected to reach 400-500 underserved women in its first year, Kaushik Roy, Shanti's executive director, said in an interview with the Bay Area Reporter before the event.

Of the $1 million budget, approximately 36 percent comes from the city, 46 percent from foundations and corporate support, and 18 percent from individual donations, Roy said.

"One of our goals is to continue bringing in new individual and corporate supporters who are committed to supporting underserved women's health," Roy said in an email. "I think as more people learn about this program and how important it is, hopefully we will continue to increase our private support."

Roy added that the agency wants people to know it does more that serve people with HIV/AIDS.

"A lot of people in San Francisco, when they hear 'Shanti,' still automatically think about HIV/AIDS, which is understandable because of our legacy of work with people with HIV," Roy said. "Our job is to educate the community about the impact we are now making for other underserved or marginalized communities too."

Groups supporting the new program include many of the city's hospitals, health care agencies, and nonprofit groups.

The community-based effort represents an expansion of Shanti's 14-year-old program providing services to women with breast cancer. That program was called the Margot Murphy Breast Cancer program in 2013, after a private donor, Michael Murphy, made a multi-year grant in memory of his late wife.

According to Roy, the new initiative is the most comprehensive women's cancer services program offered in San Francisco. After a cancer diagnosis, "we don't always know the path" we will take, Roy said, but under the new program, "you won't have to walk it alone."

Women participating in the program are eligible for a wide range of services and benefits, including assistance in navigating the medical system and accompaniment to appointments. The program also supplies vouchers for transportation and groceries; translation services; emotional and practical support; community referrals; and wellness and support groups.

Each woman in the program could receive 50-100 hours of "one-on-one" support from a trained volunteer or staff member.

At the news conference, Shanti client Tracy Griffin thanked the agency for its support following her recent cancer diagnosis.

"Having Shanti by my side has made me feel much more optimistic," she said.

Specifically, Griffin said the transportation vouchers were enormously helpful during her post surgery recuperation. Shanti's guidance with outreach programs was also beneficial, she added.

Shanti is currently seeking a director for the new project; the interim director is Alyssa Nickell, Ph.D., Shanti's director of program development and research. Volunteer training programs for the project will begin in January.

For more information, visit www.shanti.org