Theresa's Story: Less Stress, More Healing

For Theresa (at left in the photo above), finding out last year that she had breast cancer was upsetting enough. But discovering that she was not eligible for state disability benefits threw her life into total chaos. Despite being employed as an anthropology professor at two local colleges, she was not able to claim disability support because she held two part-time faculty jobs, instead of one full-time job. 

“By the time I was heading into chemotherapy, I had exhausted my sick pay and had literally no financial resources,” said Theresa, who is a single mother with three children.  “Getting healthy groceries for me and my children from Project Open Hand provided enormous financial relief.  All the basics - milk, bread, eggs, meats and protein - I would never have been able to afford those on my own at that point.  Project Open Hand saved us.”

“I think one of the biggest benefits of getting food from POH was that it lowered my stress level,” she said.  “I didn’t have to worry about whether my kids were going to eat. I would have given them food from my own plate rather than see them go hungry, but getting food from Open Hand allowed me to focus on healing. For that, I am so grateful.”

Theresa was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2014 and was referred to Project Open Hand in February by a social worker at a cancer support group at Summit Medical Center in Oakland.  In addition to receiving healthy groceries, she met periodically with Project Open Hand’s nutritionist, Jenna Lindamood, who provided strategies and recipes for eating well during cancer treatment.

“All of the wholesome, healthy foods we got every week made me certain I was eating right.  It helped me focus on good food and move away from processed foods,” Theresa said. “The variety of groceries and the abundant fruits and vegetables was awesome.  I was also impressed by the volunteers, who are so giving and dedicated to helping others.”

Theresa is happy to say that she is cancer free after completing her medical treatment a few weeks ago. 

According to a study by the University of Texas Integrative Medicine Program, lowering stress, alongside medical treatment, may ultimately improve outcomes for cancer patients.  Project Open Hand is proud to provide nutrition and counseling that supports our clients’ medical treatment, reduces stress and improves their quality of life.

Help support families like Theresa's as they battle cancer by making a donation to Project Open Hand.