STARS Rehabilitation Report Card - 'A'

"How do you express a meaningful thank you to people who give of themselves without any expectations in return? However, that is what I would like to do and express a sincere thanks to Jacqui and her organization Strength for Life. Strength for Life has been our partner for the past 18 months and has done an outstanding job providing free group exercises classes to those persons battling cancer. These classes help cancer patients stay fit so they have the physical and mental strength to fight their disease with everything they have got. The feedback from the participants has been overwhelmingly positive and the service to the community has been invaluable. Thank you Strength for Life!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sincerely,

Daniel M. Vaknin, MA, PT, MDT

Senior Director Sports Therapy And Rehabilitation Services of the North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System

Thank you Dan, Jess and Mark at STARS for welcoming Strength for Life!

"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give,

and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

New classes at Mather Hospital

"fighting cancer with exercise"

Strength for Life is happy to announce a new class to start up at Mather Hospital on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 beginning November 7, 2012.

Our classes are for cancer patients/survivors. We provide the necessary equipment (resistance bands, stability balls and floor mats) for you to keep and follow your exercises at home. The class will meet until the end of December for one hour every week. We ask that you make a commitment to attend all the classes so you will benefit from the strengthening exercises, improved posture and range of motion.

Strength for Life is able to provide these classes and wellness retreats for cancer survivors through our fund-raising efforts.

Our November 18th "Evelyn Knapp 5K Run to Remember" and 3K Wellness Walk at Sunken Meadow State Park is our next event - please consider joining us. There is something active for the whole family - a Fun Run for the children, a Boardwalk Wellness Walk and a Challenging Trail Run - come bring the family and support Strength for Life so we can continue our programs at NO COST.

For information about our programs please visit us at

www.strengthforlifeNY.org

To register for the class - call 631-675-6513

or register through this website link

 

 "Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible;

and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

~Saint Francis of Assisi

 

 

Giant Step Services of Hauppauge raises $3200 for Strength for Life

On Sunday October 7^th, Giant Step Services held their first annual “Circle for a Cause” fundraiser to benefit Strength for Life raising $3200 for the non profit.  As you know, Strength for Life provides FREE exercise classes and wellness retreats for cancer patients/survivors on Long Island.  Giant Step Services is a community based comprehensive vocational/independent living program for post-secondary students with learning challenges located in Hauppauge, NY. 

 

The Giant Step program is designed to maximize each young adult’s growth by utilizing supportive, individualized approach to movement from home or boarding school to community and work or post-secondary academics. The students went above and beyond reaching out to family and friends and walking laps to show their support of the Strength for Life  programs that promote “fighting cancer with exercise.”

 

For every $250 donation a cancer patient/survivor is sponsored for a wellness retreat participating in an overnight stay, a day full of classes (Zumba, Tai Chi, Yoga, Strength Training, Reiki and Meditation) and fabulous guest speakers presenting on alternative therapies and nutrition.  Giant Step Services sponsored 13 new survivors to attend a wellness retreat in 2013. Kudos to them!

 

 

 

 



"An effort made for the happiness of others
lifts us above ourselves."

~Mrs. Lydia Maria Child

Welcome our new BOD members....

Strength for Life is pleased to welcome Dr. Barbara Donnellan and Mr. Tim Beach to our Board of Directors.  Dr. Donnellan, Coordinator of Guidance /Lindenhurst Public School, and Adjunct Professor at NYIT along with Mr. Beach, VP/ Game Operations and Events, New York Islanders Hockey Club bring a wealth of experience to enhance the Strength for Life BOD. 

 

Our new members have already contributed to the growth of Strength for Life.  It's wonderful!

 

 

 

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."

~Sir Winston Churchill

 

Celebrating Our 7th Wellness Retreat

We celebrated our 7th Wellness Retreat this past weekend at the Hyatt Windwatch with 16 new friends. As always, we could not put on the day without the generosity of our friends - who deserve our support and appreciation.

Penni Niles started the day of - warming up all thse muscles with a "Zumba" class modified for the participants and the room. Thank you, Penni for being so flexible and for getting the day started with smiles.

Debbie and I held a shortened version of our strength training - since (of course) we were running late - but the reasons are all good.

Dr. Peter Bongiorno (Inner Source Health) came to speak at the lunch, and the note-taking made it obvious that every bit of the information was relevant and important to all.

Our own Teresa Doherty stepped in and held a guided meditation. Everyone of these aspects are important to embrace in our daily lives.

Carolyn Calvacca, White Lotus Massage & Yoga shared some important self myofascial release techniquesand the practice of QiGong.

Laura Cerrano, Feng Shui Manhattan/Feng Shui Long Island joined us at dinner...Laura summed up the day and put it all together - connecting the dots - simply. Then went on to explain how to release some undesired energy "vampires".

We had a short hike on Sunday and the conversation was clearly acceptance of these new practices...

Kudos to all our guest presenters for sharing your expertise with our new friends...Of course we ask, all our FB friends and family to give these presenters your support and help us show our gratitude to them.

btw.....The descriptions of what they shared with the participants is particularly short - since I was on duty away from the classes.

Is it me????

Last week there was an article that came out about "organic" food and the way it was represented was that organic food was not healthier for you. That is what I heard repeated  on the Today Show and by Kathie Lee and Hoda, and others during the day.....BUT what the article presents, and I believe most of us are aware of, is that the nutritional value of the organic food is not different however the exposure to pesticides is the difference. And isn't that we buy organic?

Organic food no healthier than non-organic

 

 

I was a meeting the other day discussing activities and suggestions for "October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month" and it was mentioned (by an educated staff) that self breast exams were now 'not recommended' because women were relying on these self exams and not following it up with annual exams.

 

 

We appear to need  all those warnings like "do not put your pet in the microwave" because we are given news tidbits that are incomplete. I am perplexed.

 

 

"For most folks, no news is good news;

 for the press, good news is not news."

~Gloria Borger



 

 

I'm back.....

to working Strength for Life full time..."Life is good" and "I love my job" - those are my new mantras and so easily said.

So forgive the lapses of blogs and I plan to get my writing back on soon.


In the meantime...I am pondering this

in more ways than one....


Stay tuned!!!