New Cancer Association Building to be a Blessing for Patients, Family
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The Cancer Association of Anderson is getting ready to open its new facility this summer, and for executive director Angie Stringer, the building represents much more than fresh walls and extra square footage.
It is a long-awaited expansion that she says will allow the nonprofit to better serve Anderson County residents battling cancer while creating a place where patients can find support, education and encouragement all in one setting.
Stringer said the current space has long been cramped, forcing staff to shuffle rooms, store supplies wherever they can fit and make do without enough space for classes or programs. The new building will finally give the organization room to breathe — and room to grow.
“Our mission here at the Cancer Association of Anderson is to lessen the burden on Anderson County residents who are battling cancer,” said Stringer. She also said the new facility will make it possible to do that more efficiently and with enhanced services. Stringer said the project is “a game-changer,” not just because of the added space, but because it will allow patients to come together, fellowship, learn from one another and strengthen one another.
The new facility will include a teaching kitchen and a multipurpose room, both of which are central to the nonprofit’s future programming. Those spaces will support classes focused on nutrition and movement, including Tai Chi, Zumba, yoga, moving and chair yoga.
The teaching kitchen is expected to be especially meaningful because nutrition plays a major role in health and recovery. The association also works with partners including the Cleo Bailey Project and AIM to provide healthy food and fresh produce for patients, and she said the new facility will help deepen those efforts.
The expanded building will also give the association dedicated rooms for neuromuscular massage and possibly acupuncture, allowing more patients to receive care that can improve quality of life. Stringer said the organization currently can help only about eight-10 patients a month with massage because of limited space, but the new rooms should open the door to more treatment options.
For Stringer, the project is deeply personal. She said that when she went through cancer treatment herself, she did not realize neuromuscular massage could help with pain and mobility until later. After a year and a half of massage, she regained her full range of motion, and that experience helped shape her belief in the importance of giving patients both knowledge and access to support.
“If we had had this facility when I came through, I would have started neuromuscular massage a lot sooner,” she said. That perspective is part of why the new building matters so much: it will give current patients options she did not have when she needed them most.
The Cancer Association is seeing more patients these days, though Stringer believes that rise is tied in part to earlier cancer detection and better screening. Even so, the growth underscores the need for a larger, more flexible space where services can expand and the nonprofit can continue serving more people in the county.
Volunteers are crucial, particularly drivers who can help transport patients to appointments when the association’s own resources are stretched thin. Staff can also use help with inventory, data entry, event support and other daily tasks that keep the organization running.
The Cancer Association of Anderson is relying on more than construction crews to bring the project to life. Stringer thanked Anderson County, the city of Anderson, Edward Jones Investments, Don Chapman Design Group and Jay Carter LLC for helping move the building forward as an “amazing facility”.
She also offered a heartfelt nod to the volunteers who already give their time, saying they help the organization do “a lot with a little”. Donations, she added, are also welcome as the association prepares for the next chapter.
