New partnership empowers patients and their loved ones by providing empathetic, compassionate support from trained mentors who have faced similar journeys
Chester, NJ – September 29, 2025 — A colon cancer diagnosis can be isolating. To change that, Cancer Hope Network and the Colon Cancer Coalition have partnered to launch a peer support and mentorship program designed to connect colon cancer patients and caregivers with trained volunteers who have walked a similar path and truly understand what they are going through.
The program expands Cancer Hope Network’s proven peer mentorship model to the Colon Cancer Coalition community, offering one-on-one support tailored to an individual’s experience to create genuine mentor/mentee relationships built on understanding and trust. Mentor matches are based on factors such as diagnosis, treatment, age, and lifestyle, ensuring each connection offers comfort due to the commonality of experiences and a desire to provide empathy, guidance, and hope.
An initial cohort of survivors from the Colon Cancer Coalition community have completed Cancer Hope Network’s comprehensive volunteer Peer Mentor training. These Peer Mentors are now part of the Cancer Hope Network and stand ready to provide support. Colon Cancer Coalition patients and caregivers can access support from Cancer Hope Network directly through the Coalition’s website by visiting https://coloncancercoalition.org/resources/peer-support-and-mentorship/.
“A cancer diagnosis is often described as a lonely journey,” said Chris Evans, President of Colon Cancer Coalition. “This partnership offers patients a mentor for support through a shared experience. We are so happy to be able to work with Cancer Hope Network to expand the reach to both patients and mentors.”
The need for support is growing. While screening guidelines recommend testing beginning at age 45, diagnoses are increasingly common among younger adults in their 30s and 40s. With many of these patients seeking resources online, Cancer Hope Network and the Colon Cancer Coalition are offering an essential lifeline at a critical moment.
“The heart of Cancer Hope Network is connection,” said Beth Blakey, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at Cancer Hope Network. “By joining forces with the Colon Cancer Coalition, we are extending that connection to a community in urgent need of support. Together, we are inspiring hope and improving the quality of life for people impacted by colon cancer.” For more information please visit: https://cancerhopenetwork.org/ccc/.
About Cancer Hope Network
Cancer Hope Network is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers cancer patients and their loved ones with hope through personalized, one-on-one peer mentorship support from survivors and caregivers who have faced a similar experience. Our team of social work and healthcare professionals coordinate customized matches with trained volunteer Peer Mentors who can help make cancer feel less isolating through shared experiences. Cancer Hope Network Peer Mentors, either cancer survivors or caregivers of survivors, receive free training to serve as a guiding light for those navigating their own journeys.
For more information about Cancer Hope Network and its mission, please visit: https://cancerhopenetwork.org/.
About Colon Cancer Coalition
The Colon Cancer Coalition is dedicated to encouraging screening and raising awareness of colorectal cancer. The organization’s signature Get Your Rear in Gear® event series is volunteer driven in communities throughout the United States. Annually, the Colon Cancer Coalition grants over $1 million dollars to local communities to build and sustain programs promoting early prevention, screening, and research, as well as patient support efforts for those living with this disease. By making the words colon, colorectal, and colonoscopy a part of everyday language, we believe we can overcome the fear and decrease deaths from this largely preventable cancer. For more information, visit https://coloncancercoalition.org/.
Contact:
Megan Redzia
3E Public Relations
(201) 396-0588
mredzia@3epr.com
