Nonprofit Spotlight: Bluebird Cancer Retreats
I may be biased when I say this, but I think Bluebird Cancer Retreats is one of the most impactful and unique nonprofit organizations in our little corner of Michigan. As the current Social Media Coordinator and former intern for the organization, I have a lot of insight into what sets Bluebird apart from other nonprofits, and I’ll break it down into three parts: Why, How, and Who?
Why Was Bluebird Cancer Retreats Started?
After attending a cancer retreat in North Carolina, Bill Timm, a Spring Lake, Michigan resident, was inspired to bring the sense of community and support he found back to West Michigan. After Timm passed, his wife and pastor made his dream come true by founding Camp Bluebird of West Michigan in 1996. Bluebird has been thriving ever since.
The name of the organization was changed to Bluebird Cancer Retreats in 2006 to better reflect the experience that participants are receiving. It is a retreat, a time of pampering and relaxation to allow participants to reconnect with themselves and others outside of their cancer diagnosis. What has remained the same through time is the mission of the organization: to enhance the lives of those experiencing cancer.
How Does Bluebird Fulfill its Mission?
Bluebird has multiple programs in place that help it achieve its mission. The first is the most obvious as it's in the name—retreats. Other programs, such as support groups Lift of Love and Community Cares allow the organization to reach its community even when it’s not retreat season.
Bluebird’s retreats are a truly unique experience for all involved. Speaking from personal experience, I was changed from the moment that I attended my first retreat as an intern last May. Although retreats are typically less than 48 hours, the transformations that participants go through are unbelievable. Participants arrive around 2 p.m. on Friday and are with us until noon on Sunday. During that time, they participate in group conversations about their cancer journey, engage in therapies like massages and reiki, and are fed and pampered to their heart's content. They don’t lift a finger the whole weekend; we even carry their trays in the cafeteria! In that time, they form friendships and bonds with the other participants and volunteers that can truly last a lifetime. They come to us feeling anxious, maybe angry or scared, and they leave with a newfound sense of strength and hope.
Some other programs that Bluebird offers, like the monthly support group, allow Bluebird participants and others in the community to continue their journey of healing. Others, such as Life of Love and Community Cares, are focused solely on serving the West Michigan community. Lift of Love provides lift chairs to patients after they have had surgery or treatments that make it difficult for them to get up from or sit down in a chair. Bluebird offers both delivery and pickup services for the chairs and doesn’t have a time limit for their use of them. Community Cares is a partnership program with Buc’s Pride, another nonprofit in Grand Haven run out of Grand Haven Public Schools, that provides information and support to newly diagnosed cancer patients. Bluebird delivers bags to these patients that include a blanket, some other goodies, and brochures for local resources.
Who Does Bluebird Benefit?
The short answer? The West Michigan community. The unfortunate reality is that we all can probably say that we know someone with cancer, or at least know of someone with cancer. Bluebird focuses on enhancing the lives of cancer patients and cancer survivors by helping them tap into who they were before their diagnosis. This gives them their drive back, which helps them fill their roles in their families, their jobs, their communities, and so on. A Bluebird retreat is one weekend, but the impact is lifelong.
I encourage anyone reading this to explore Bluebird further. Recommend it to a cancer survivor close to you, start volunteering, or attend an event that supports the organization. Information can be found at bluebirdmi.org or reach out to social@bluebirdmi.org for more details.
About Layla
Layla is a senior majoring in Health Communication and minoring in Advertising and Public Relations. This is her second semester as an Account Associate for GrandPR. Additionally, she is the Social Media Coordinator for a local non-profit called Bluebird Cancer Retreats. Following graduation, she plans to stay in West Michigan to work in healthcare administration.