Cancer Support Community Arizona Celebrates 25th Anniversary

PHOENIX – Since 1999, Cancer Support Community Arizona has been helping ease the burden of the cancer journey by providing research-based programs at no cost to cancer patients and their loved ones throughout Arizona. This year marks CSCAZ’s 25th anniversary of service and to celebrate, the organization is commemorating the monumental occasion with a dedication to innovation.

“Cancer Support Community Arizona is proud to celebrate 25 years of service,” said Julie Dunnigan, CEO of Cancer Support Community Arizona. “We are committed to uplifting those impacted by cancer through an innovative approach; by providing support, fostering compassionate communities, and breaking down barriers to care.”

With innovation as the focus for this year, CSCAZ has made efforts to revamp its programs with the community’s needs in mind. More than 40,000 people in Arizona will be diagnosed with cancer this year alone. Research shows that effective cancer care must include psychological and social support. To those impacted by cancer, CSCAZ has increased the number of in-person programs, like weekly support groups, educational seminars, and classes to encourage a healthy lifestyle. In January, CSCAZ launched Rise & Recharge, a new program that includes seminar-style workshops and will occur on a Saturday of each month.

In August of 2023, CSCAZ named Julie Dunnigan as the new CEO. With over 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience and a breast cancer survivor, Dunnigan knows the importance of supporting the patient and their loved ones during initial diagnosis, treatment, and into survivorship. In her new role, Dunnigan is prioritizing evidence-based practices while also ensuring a holistic approach to meeting the individualized needs of those CSCAZ serves.

Last year, CSCAZ served almost 2,000 individuals. CSCAZ hopes to expand the number of individuals reached by offering programs to underserved populations. There are programs focused on reaching Native American communities that take a culturally sensitive approach to cancer care and the specific needs of that group. These have been developed in collaboration with the NAU/UA Native American Prevention teams. Additionally, the Latino program focuses on the specific needs of the Latino community and offers support groups, healthy lifestyle programs, educational resources, and social connections in Spanish to better serve this community.

There are also new fundraisers and community celebrations planned this year to continue raising awareness for the variety of programs and services CSCAZ provides.

To learn more about this milestone or CSCAZ, please visit https://cscaz.org/.

About Cancer Support Community Arizona
Cancer Support Community Arizona is a nonprofit organization that provides emotional and social support for anyone impacted by cancer by providing 100 free programs per month including bilingual support groups, social activities, mind/body therapies, nutritional counseling, educational seminars, and embedded hospital navigators who connect newly diagnosed cancer patient and their families to community resources. All programs are offered to Arizona residents at no cost and are designed to support cancer patients, their families, and caregivers throughout their cancer journey. To learn more about CSCAZ, please visit https://cscaz.org/.