Our Volunteers

A Note of Thanks to our volunteer Guides

In honor of Volunteer Appreciation Week, we want to share our gratitude for our Firefly Sisterhood Guides. These inspiring breast cancer survivors have taken the extraordinary step of “paying it forward” by providing personal psychosocial support to women facing breast cancer. For some, their dedication is rooted in gratitude for those who stood beside them and provided similar support as they navigated diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Others never experienced that type of support during their breast cancer experience, and they are determined that no woman should have to face breast cancer alone.

Firefly matches are driven by the needs of the woman who requests support, so each match can look very different. Some Guides talk to their Firefly Sisters regularly, even meeting in person. Other Guides and Sisters may have only “virtual” communication through email or text messages. Matches might last for many months—some even blossom into friendships—or they may consist of a single phone call or email.

One challenge of being a Guide is that it can be difficult to gauge your effectiveness. This is especially true when a match is brief or more virtual. We’ve also had matches end unexpectedly or without explanation. This is not unexpected given how stressful and chaotic life can get for Firefly Sisters, and we do our best to prepare our Guides for this possibility. But even the most well-prepared Guide may find herself wondering, “Was it something I did or said?” or “Could I have done something differently?” And she almost always asks herself, “Was I even helpful?”

These are tough questions, and I believe they are a testament to how much our Guides care about the well-being of their Firefly Sisters. We have no doubt that you are providing much needed – and valuable – support in your matches. Every once in a while, I get a call or email (sometimes weeks or months later) that explains why the Firefly Sister needed to step back from the match or that offers feedback about a specific Guide. Whenever possible, I share that information with the Guide. However, on some occasions, that information comes through anonymously. For those Guides who’ve ever found themselves wondering if they were helpful, I’d like to share just a few recent anonymous quotes we’ve received from your Firefly Sisters:

“She answered all my questions and concerns.”

“They were so great, and helped, unbelievably.”

“It was very helpful to have someone to talk to that understood my feelings and emotions.”

“My Guide helped me realize that yes, it is a personal decision on the treatment path that you pursue. It helps to get others’ opinions and what helped them make their decisions.”

“This was invaluable to me!”

“She helped me to feel included.”

As we celebrate National Volunteer Week, I hope all of our Firefly Sisterhood Guides know how incredibly grateful we are for their commitment to sharing their time, love, energy, and light with their Firefly Sisters. You are the heart and soul behind one of our favorite Firefly sayings: Together, we shine!

Jenny and team