When Truly Hayward signed up for her first nutrition class at the Cancer Support Program, she wasn’t expecting anything life-changing.

She just wanted to get out of the house.

“I’d been feeling low,” Truly admits. “After cancer and divorce, you kind of lose your footing. You lose a bit of yourself.”

But what she found that day – and in the weeks that followed – was something much deeper than recipes and meal plans.

“It was after the class, when someone would quietly put the kettle on,” Truly remembers. “We’d gather with herbal tea and little healthy snacks, and just… be. No pressure to talk about cancer, though sometimes we did. Other times it was grandkids, vacations, or a good book someone was reading. With a warm mug in hand and no expectations, it felt like a little circle of safety – like we were all gently exhaling, together.”

Truly’s experience reflects what program manager Kari Graham sees every day: “Sometimes the most meaningful support doesn’t come during the class. It comes during the conversations after. That’s when people realize they’re not alone.”

Thanks to your generosity, Truly was able to take part in yoga, mindfulness and relaxation sessions, and the Stay Strong program at the YMCA. Each one helped rebuild her physical and emotional strength – but it was the sense of community that made the biggest difference.