formerly Hospice King-Aurora-Richmond Hill
To Give Back is to Grow: Honoring the place between no longer & not yet
Nicki Auclair Martin, Wellness Volunteer
I joined the HKA community in the Spring of 2012 on the recommendation of a friend who was a hospice wellness program client. I had just completed the long course of treatment that can ensue after a cancer diagnosis, and was seeking a place that could offer me some support while I transitioned back into life after cancer. I was physically, emotionally and spiritually drained. The year that I had spent in treatment coupled with the post-treatment side effects, left me feeling overwhelmed, in pain, isolated, worried, lonely and defeated…not at all the way I thought I would be or should be feeling as a cancer survivor!
The support that I found at HKA was vital for me regaining the balance in my life. The wellness programs helped me reconnect with my body, mind and spirit through yoga, meditation, reflexology, Healing Hikes, the Picking Up The Pieces (PUP) program and the PUP Grad support group. Through the sharing of tears and triumphs, I became part of a community of people lending and receiving support while on a path to wellness.
I was invited to co-facilitate the PUP Grad support group in early 2014, and some months later to assist with the Healing Hike program. Holding a role of client and facilitator creates a wonderful balance for me as I continue to travel forward on my own journey towards health, vitality and happiness. I now know that this really is an ongoing lifelong pursuit, and I am so very pleased to have the HKA community of clients, facilitators, support staff, volunteers and coordinators to rely on as a continued source of joy and support in my life.
In PUP Grad we have shared a quote by author Nancy Levine that states “Honor the place between no longer and not yet.” I can say without hesitation that HKA has truly created that place for its clients.