Twelve percent -that’s 1- in-8- the number of women in the United States who are expected to develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime, according to Breastcancer.org. While pink ribbons have made breast cancer a more visible disease over the last decade, many of these women still suffer in invisible ways.
Jill Hinson and the staff at Core Compassion Project aim to relieve some of the invisible burden that so many of these cancer patients- men and women alike- carry.
The not-for-profit, located locally in Union County, combines the body focused practice of pilates, with the compassion of the community in order to support those who are dealing with this common yet deadly diagnosis.
Certified in Pilates instruction, and with further training in cancer-specific exercises, Hinson and the other teachers at Core Studio Pilates know the impact breast cancer has on a patient’s body as well as their mind. The fundamental goal of their volunteer organization is to use their knowledge and skill to help those affected to heal both of these areas.
While the treatments for breast cancer are varied and the protocol is individualized and specific, the side effects are often pernicious and more debilitating that the actual disease in many stages. Through gentle strength and flexibility training that is part of Pilates, Core Compassion Project helps to alleviate some of the physical determinants of both the cancer and it’s treatment. While many patients don’t receive physical therapy as part of their treatment plan, it’s well considered true that keeping the body and mind active and engaging in activities that focus on positivity are enormously helpful in the healing process. As such, Core Compassion Project aims to provide classes in an extremely beneficial activity to breast cancer patients without further complicating their lives with the stress of added financial strain.
As with any life threatening illness, treating breast cancer can often bring monetary hardship to those who are already fighting for their lives in so many ways. Because of this, Core Compassion works diligently to raise funds to cover the assistance they offer. With every $500 that is raised by the nonprofit, they are able to provide a set of 10 Pilates lessons to a man or woman in need. This small gesture can have an enormous impact on the quality of a patient’s life as they battle the invasive malignance.
While the women at Core Compassion Project work very hard to make their program successful, they are not able to do it alone. In order to continue to bring in funding for the scholarships they offer, they need the support of the community. In response, they are often hard at work designing fundraising events and reaching out to potential donors.
Core Compassion looks to both private and commercial partners to become part of their program. It offers multiple easy ways for these partners to provide funding from sponsorship of a single patient, to monthly tax-free autodraft. If financial commitment isn’t feasible, the program also happily invites volunteers to help with events and other necessary tasks. Because of the diligent efforts of Hinson and others, Core Studio Pilates was able to offer scholarships to 23 survivors in the 2017/2018 year. The organization hopes to continue to increase that number as they gain the support of more members of the community through both monetary and time-commitment donations.
To get involved with this life altering charity, or find out about scholarship opportunities, visit corecompassionproject.org, or call 800-413-1092.
