2026 Gratitude Report
The start of a new chapter
Our Mission
Nearly 1 in 2 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Yet access to supportive cancer care remains inconsistent across the country. Wellspring exists to help close that gap by providing evidence-based programs and services that improve quality of life, reduce distress, and support better health outcomes.
As we reflect on the past year, we are filled with deep gratitude for your continued support. Because of your generosity, thousands of Canadians facing cancer were able to access barrier free supportive care including cancer exercise, counselling, nutrition support, coping strategies, and peer connection during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
This year marked an important period of expansion and impact. We launched new programs designed specifically for young adults, helping address the unique challenges faced by this growing community. We introduced new evidence-informed offerings, including Fear of Recurrence Therapy (FORT) and Body Image Awareness Seminars (BIAS), ensuring meaningful support for both emotional and psychological well-being. We better served the Inuit community by collaborating and adapting our Nourish program for culturally appropriate nutritional care. And we welcomed Wellspring New Brunswick as our newest affiliate, extending Wellspring’s reach and bringing supportive cancer care to even more communities.
Thanks to your generosity, Wellspring provided more than 83,000 program visits this year – the highest in our history. This milestone reflects not only growing demand, but also Wellspring’s increasing role in helping Canadians navigate the emotional, physical, financial, and psychosocial impacts of cancer.
Beyond our programs, we continued strengthening partnerships with healthcare providers, researchers, and community organizations to ensure more people can access support where and when they need it most.
Looking ahead, we are energized by what’s to come. We look forward to supporting the organization’s continued growth and impact as we begin an exciting new chapter, guided by our strategic plan – expanding
equitable access, advancing innovation, and ensuring more people can receive support where and when they need it most.
None of this would be possible without you. Your generosity is at the heart of everything we do, and we are truly grateful to have you as part of the Wellspring community.
With gratitude,
Brenda Delodder, CEO
Matt Barasch, Chair
Growing support for young adults to help them live better, and beyond, cancer
Our Impact
In our 2026 Mission Survey, member respondents said:
Evidence-based programs that improve cancer outcomes.
* Includes members (patients, caregivers and family members), volunteers and healthcare professionals.
Program Participants
“As a family physician, I see patients who are diagnosed with cancer on a regular basis and know how important the benefits of exercise are during treatment as well as for long-term health benefits. But you don’t realize just how important it is until cancer happens to you.
When you become a patient, your perspective completely changes. Even though I always exercised, I had a loss of endurance and strength. Enter Wellspring. You have an assessment and a customized exercise plan to meet your goals. I felt comfortable that there were a limited number of people in the gym to protect myself and others who were immunocompromised. The instructors pushed me and helped me so much with my recovery. The exercise program helped reduce muscle loss, pain and improved my mood, energy and endurance. At Wellspring, I wasn’t Dr. Adams, I was one of the group.”
– Dr. Amanda Adams
Our Financials
Program Expenses
Revenue Sources
“I had gone from cancer patient/survivor to caregiver to someone with cancer to bereaved family member. All of these events occurred within 2 1/2 years of my own diagnosis. I will always be grateful for the peer counselling and therapy sessions I received at Wellspring that helped provide an anchor for me when I needed it.”
– Maija Clark, Wellspring participant
Our Milestones
This past year was marked by innovation, growth, and expanded access to supportive cancer care. Thanks to your generosity, Wellspring continued to evolve our programs to better meet the changing and diverse needs of people living with cancer and their loved ones.
Growing Support for Young Adults
As cancer rates rose among young adults (YA), Wellspring expanded programming tailored to their unique experiences and stage of life. Building on the success of YA Brain Fog, we introduced programs including a YA Breast Cancer Group, YA Body Image Awareness Seminar, YA Healing Journey 1, YA Yoga, and an Under 55 Pancreatic Cancer Support Circle –creating spaces where younger adults can connect with peers who truly understand their journey.
Addressing Fear of Cancer Recurrence
This year, Wellspring piloted the Fear of Recurrence Therapy (FORT) program, developed by Dr. Sophie Lebel and Dr. Christine Maheu. Designed to help cancer survivors manage the anxiety and uncertainty of recurrence, FORT teaches evidence-based coping strategies and supports participants in rebuilding confidence and quality of life. Due to overwhelming demand and positive participant feedback, the program has now been added to Wellspring’s regular program roster.
New Programs Supporting Body Image & Nutrition
We launched our new Body Image Awareness Seminars (BIAS), a six-week program developed from research conducted in partnership with Brock University PhD student Carly MaGee. The program helps participants reflect on and navigate the complex relationship between cancer and body image.
We also expanded innovative nutrition-focused supports to help people improve well-being and better manage treatment-related side effects. RxFood, which combines access to a food tracking app with small-group guidance from Wellspring dietitians, became a permanent part of our program roster.
Supporting Inuit Communities
In consultation with the Ottawa Cancer Foundation and Inuit Elders through Tungasuvvingat Inuit, Wellspring adapted the Nourish program to support Inuit people affected by cancer in Ottawa – the largest Inuit population in Southern Canada. By offering culturally relevant nutrition information, demonstrations, and food in safe community spaces, this initiative helps participants make informed choices that support long-term wellbeing.
Expanding Reach Across Canada
The opening of Wellspring New Brunswick’s Bannon House in Moncton marked an important milestone in expanding supportive cancer care in Atlantic Canada. Wellspring supported the hiring and training of program leaders and continues to work alongside the team to expand access to French-language program materials in Canada’s only fully bilingual province.
Building Partnerships & Community Access
Wellspring continued strengthening partnerships with hospitals, cancer centres, and national organizations to bring support closer to where people need it most. This includes expanding counselling and support programs with Pancreatic Cancer North America, new lung cancer support programming with Lung Cancer Canada, and ongoing in-clinic peer support partnerships with hospitals, including Halton Healthcare, Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre, and North York General Hospital.
“I felt like people’s arms were wrapped around me. It was a place where I didn’t have to explain… they just understood with kindness and compassion. Every person’s cancer journey is unique. At Wellspring, I felt seen and heard.”
– Jane, Wellspring participant
Our 2026 - 2030 Strategic Plan
Deliver and expand programs
Deliver and expand access to high demand programs across Canada, including virtual, in community, and healthcare integrated delivery models.
Develop new programs and partner with researchers
Wellspring’s Centre of Innovation will help accelerate the translation of research into practical supportive care solutions that improve outcomes and quality of life for people living with cancer.
Create tech solutions to improve access
Create an app that makes it even easier to find and access programs and resources, when and where they need it most.
Reach more people
Launch nation-wide education and outreach so that people who need Wellspring can find Wellspring – taking into account regional and local needs.
Strengthen our backbone
Invest in infrastructure, resources, and people that will ensure long-term sustainability and readiness for national growth.
Every program visit, every connection, and every moment of support made possible this year began with the generosity of supporters like you.
Thank You!
Thank you for being an integral part of people’s cancer journeys.
Donate Today
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