The need for non-medical support for cancer patients and their families is already very real and growing. In Canada, we are fortunate to have world-class treatment facilities along with specialized oncology teams and excellent ancillary healthcare providers. But, the healthcare system does not have the resources to meet the significant non-medical needs of people with cancer. Wellspring Niagara is here to help to fill this gap. Wellspring Niagara has devoted its work to addressing these non-medical impacts of cancer.
Research shows cancer patients who participate in the types of programs offered at Wellspring Niagara experience improved mental health resulting in higher quality of life and lower healthcare costs.
Cancer patients and cancer survivors often report symptoms which cause distress. These include things like:
This is in addition to other physical, emotional, social, and practical challenges.
Wellspring Niagara offers centralized, comprehensive cancer wellness and support programs to anyone impacted by any type of cancer. Specifically, Wellspring Niagara will provide support:
It is completely free to participate in any Wellspring’s programs. Wellspring provides all of its programs free-of-charge, and without referral.
However, while volunteers form a strong basis of our support, it does cost money for Wellspring to run its programs. Our program leaders are paid professionals with knowledge in their field. This is in addition to other overhead expenses such as staff, buildings, infrastructure, etc.
Wellspring does not receive core government or hospital funding. We are 100% donor-funded.
Before you can participate in a Wellspring Niagara program, you will need to tell us a bit about yourself first. We ask that you complete our short membership form, which allows us to help you find the programs that will best suit your needs. If you prefer to call, a Wellspring Niagara volunteer will be available and more than happy to help you with this process.
Wellspring Niagara has no set membership period, and encourages individuals to take programs for as long as you feel you need support. However, recognizing that our programs and services are completely donor-funded, and in the interest of ensuring those who need our programs can take them, here are some general guidelines:
Wellspring has a number of physical centres across Ontario and Alberta. You can see the full list of our locations here.
Even if you live far away or in a different province, you can still access Wellspring’s programs! Check out our full offering of online, Canada-wide programming here.
To register as a Wellspring Niagara member, first head to the home page and click on the “Join for Free” button, which will bring you to the Getting Started page.
From here, scroll down and click on the relevant member option. This will bring you a page with more details on the membership type you selected.
Scroll down to the section called “The Registration Process” and click on the “Sign up as a Member” button.
From here, you will then be prompted to fill out basic information about yourself. Once you’ve completed these steps, you are now a member and can register for any of our programs.
Go to https://portal.wellspring.ca/ and log in to your member account.
From here, you can scroll or use the filters to find the right program(s) for you.
Clicking on the Program name will open a page with more information about the program, including what time it runs, where, and how to register.
You should have received an email from Wellspring on March 4th, using the email address “noreply@wellspring.ca”. This email provided a link to your account. If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure to check your Junk folder.
If you don’t have this email, simply go to the Program portal, click on Login, and then select the Forgot your password? link. You will then be prompted with the steps to reset your password.
When you are logged in, you should see “My Profile” as an option within the purple bar.
Once within this space, you can add or change any information.
Remember to click “Save” at the bottom of the screen to capture your changes.
Yes! You can have your spouse make their own account using the same email address by adding a +1 when registering. For example:
John Doe’s account is under thedoes@gmail.com. His wife Jane uses the same email address. She can create her own account with its own password by registering as thedoes+1@gmail.com, and she will still be able to get program updates, newsletters, and more to her shared email.
If the program you’re interested in is currently full for registration, you can add yourself to a waitlist to be alerted once a spot opens up. This process is the same as registering for a program – just click the Waitlist button instead of the usual Register one.
Once a spot opens up in the program, you will receive an email letting you know you have been admitted. You may also receive a call from a Wellspring volunteer letting you know about the change.
Zoom is a video conferencing platform that is used for all of Wellspring’s online programs.
All you need is a computer with a camera and audio.
You can use a laptop, desktop computer or tablet. We don’t recommend using your smart phone, as it may result in difficulty viewing the leader, the other participants and the materials given the small size of the screen.
The first time you use Zoom:
Select the hyperlink in the body of the email (as shown in the circle) to join the meeting.
The first time you use Zoom, the link will take you to the Zoom webpage. A pop-up bar will appear along the bottom. Click Run.
Zoom Features:
Audio: Click Join Audio (located in the lower left corner of your screen)
Mute: Click on this to mute or un-mute your own audio
Video: Click on this to allow yourself to be seen
Chat: Click on this to send a message to the entire group, or to speak privately with the group leader.
Gallery View: Click on this to give each person equal space on the screen. When speaking, the box around the speaker is highlighted. Speaker view gives the most visual space to the person speaking, while those not speaking will remain visible in small boxes on the right hand side of the screen.
Leave Meeting: Click this at the end of the session. You will be asked to confirm your intent to leave.
Wellspring Niagara is a charitable organization that rely entirely on donations from generous individuals, sponsors, and corporations to sustain its programs and services. Wellspring Niagara receives no government or hospital funding.
Your generosity opens doors and improves the lives of those living with cancer, ensuring:
Yes, Wellspring Niagara is a registered charitable organization and provides charitable tax receipts to its donors. All online donors will receive their tax receipt promptly to their email address after completing their donation, and offline donors will receive their tax receipt in the mail after their gift has been processed.
Yes!
Volunteers are the heart of Wellspring Niagara, providing important support at every level of the organization.
Whether you have experienced your own cancer journey, have been a caregiver for someone with cancer, or you are someone who has gifts and skills to share, Wellspring Niagara welcomes and values your contribution.
50 Wellspring Way, Fonthill, ON L0S 1E6 – 905-684-7619
Charitable #: 86414 6162 RR0001
Wellspring Organization Websites
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