Wellness Community finds a new home New facility offers support to people battling cancer BY LINDA DeNICOLA Staff Writer Jan Tryba, program director of The Wellness Community, talks with newcomers in the cancer survivor class. EATONTOWN - - Like Dorothy in the "Wizard of Oz," Ilene Winters' journey toward a home for The Wellness Community: Northern Jersey Shore (TWC-NJS) was long and arduous, but not without its highlights. Motivated by the theory that no one should have to face cancer alone, Winters worked tirelessly to find a home for the cancer center that she has spent the better part of two years promoting. Last month The Wellness Community opened The Diney Goldsmith Center in Victoria Commons at 613 Hope Road. The 3,800-square-foot facility, located on the second floor behind Red Heads restaurant, has everything a cancer support center needs to get started. Besides a living room, group meeting room, exercise room and a kitchen, there is a staff in place that includes Jan Tryba, the program director with 20 years of experience as an oncology social worker, numerous volunteers and enough money to get started. "I can't believe it is finally open," Wells said, explaining that there are two main rules that the center will abide by: "No charges, and everything in a group." In order to provide the free services, she added, "We will need to raise about $400,000 a year." The Wellness Community is a national organization based in Washington, D.C. It is the largest support program in the country devoted solely to providing emotional and psychological social support to people affected by cancer. The cancer support center, which will provide free services to people in Monmouth and Ocean counties, is the result of Winters' deep belief that a support system is integral to recovery from a cancer diagnosis. Rumson resident Barry Goldsmith had come to the same conclusion. Both of them lost loved ones to cancer in 2004. Goldsmith's wife Diney lost her battle with breast cancer after a valiant six-year fight. Her dream was to bring nonmedical therapies to people in her community who have been affected by cancer. Winters' mother, Cissie Winters, was a breast cancer survivor for 27 years, but died after a two-year battle with aggressive ovarian cancer. Her daughter realized that the cancer community could use more support and partnered with Goldsmith to bring free programs and services of the Wellness Community to the area. Among the services that will be offered are: weekly support groups led by psychotherapists, networking groups, educational programs, nutrition and cooking classes, light exercise and stress management, as well as social gatherings that bring participants, family members and friends together to laugh and play. Winters explained that until now, people affected by cancer could find some of these programs and services in the community, but not all of them under one roof. "People with cancer are often weak and unable to travel from place to place. Having a facility where a person can go to experience many different nonmedical therapies can truly make a difference in one's quality of life and well-being," she said. She noted that there are about 25 other Wellness Communities around the country in a variety of venues. They are located in old homes, single-story office buildings, strip malls, and one is even in an abandoned park-owned mansion. "They exist in all different forms, but the key is that people feel calm, comfortable and relaxed once they get to The Wellness Community," she said. The new facility in Eatontown promises to be a warm and inviting place with mustard yellow and brick colored walls, a living room with books and computers for people to use while waiting for their group to start, and a large main support group room where people can also work on craft projects. In addition, there is a kitchen for cooking and nutrition classes. Winters said her stepmother picked the colors and her husband and friends did the actual painting. She also pulled up the commercial blue carpeting that was on the floor in favor of warmer tan carpeting. Winters said she has commissioned a driftwood wall piece for one of the hallway walls. It will be 6 1/2 feet long by 3 feet tall with crystal teardrops hanging from it signifying each of the 90 founding donors. Winters has held a number of fund-raising events. In May, a food and wine event called "Wellness Around the World" was held at Branches, West Long Branch, to honor people affected by cancer. The latest event was a bike ride held on June 9, which started and finished at Pier Village in Long Branch. Bob Roll of cycling fame and the voice of the Tour de France, was at the ride and also attended a fundraising dinner June 8 at Tavolo Pronto in Fair Haven. In terms of infrastructure, the Wellness Community has a board of directors that meets every five weeks and a 14-member professional advisory board made up of specialists in the oncology fields of radiation, surgery, social work, nutrition, administration and private practice. Faced with cancer, people now have a wonderful place to turn to for support, education and health enhancement programs, but they need support from the community as well. Besides funding, they need people to share their expertise in a variety of areas like fundraising and special events. If you are interested in joining a support group, or a committee, or have skills you would like to offer, please call (732) 263-0444 or e-mail Winters at ilene@twcjerseyshore.org.